


Married Blades

by FactualUnity



Category: Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Action, Alternate 5th Grail War, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Friendship, Genderbend EMIYA, I Tried, Mystery, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:55:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 26,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27881105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FactualUnity/pseuds/FactualUnity
Summary: Shirou Emiya's world is turned upside down when he summons not a blonde King of Knights, but a white haired woman clad in black and red. Can two blades hold the heavens?
Relationships: Emiya Shirou/Heroic Spirit EMIYA | Archer
Comments: 5
Kudos: 28





	1. Summons

_Your_ _Spirit_ _,_ _My T_ _echnique,_ _both_ _flawless and fir_ _m_ _  
_

_Our strength rips the mountains  
_

_Our swords split the water  
_

_Our names reach_ _beyond_ _the_ _imperious_ _star_ _s_ _  
_

_Yet, the_ _two of us cannot hold the heavens together;_

_Our hearts were certainly made of glass._

She felt a pull. Strong and distant. It was taking her to a far away place. Another deployment? No, this was different. As she flew through a kaleidoscope of space, information was shoved in her head like one would shove all possible clothes in a case. This was it, her chance. Her _only_ chance. To spite her cursed fate. To express her suffering. To find relief.

To kill _her._

She materialized, and was greeted by a crimson nail. No, a crystal in the form of a sword, or a sword in form of a crystal. Her white falchion was pulled out in an instant, and the attack was deflected without a second though. A second swing came, not deterred by her parry.

She moved away the attack once again, her sword whining from the intensity and strength of her opponent. She hated straining her weapons to their breaking point, but the situation required it. In a swift motion, she turned the tables on her opponent and attacked. As expected, her foe retreated a good distance. It seems her sudden appearance had surprised him more than she expected.

She could scan the battlefield now. Her opponent was a man clad in black and silver with a mask covering his face. He held a crimson blade, a demonic sword that was a reforging of Gram, according to her **Structural Grasping**.

Behind him was a girl wearing red clothes.

That stopped her in her tracks. Her teal colored eyes were so familiar. Like those from a face that she long ago forgot, but that still made her chest ache. Her hair was the same raven black color, her expression bore the same emotions.

She took another glance at the battlefield. A garden in the middle of a Japanese styled compound. Some of her memories returned like a broken record. A passage on the north, a hallway leading to the garden. A shed east. A wall north. A west. It was all there before she even dared to glance. This was…

She refocused on her opponent. A Saber Class servant, who stood at the ready, but did not not have any intention of attacking. She looked back, holding some hope that her fate could not be that cursed.

She had expected a girl. Yet, in the shed, under the moonlight sat a boy looking astonished. He had strikingly familiar red hair and amber eyes. She thought she had seen a ghost for a moment, an existence that could not be.

Her logical mind tried to eased her worries. She understood the immediate situation, however strange it was. Even if this had been a failure, she still had a chance. She only needed more time. And in that time, would keep to her duties.

“Servant Archer has been summoned. Are you my Master?” She asked, standing tall.

“Master?” The boy asked. Clearly confused. The woman almost wanted to laugh at how familiar and weird this all was.

Still, the enemy was behind her. She turned back to face her opponent. He had not moved, in fact, he seemed to argue with his Master while not pulling his sight away from her.

“Saber, stand down.” She told him.

“The boy is now an enemy, Master. We must end him swiftly.” Argued the man in black.

“You are my servant! I am your Master! You have to do as I say.” She shot back. The man sighed.

“What you say could endanger your life. And as your Servant I must protect you, even if it means killing this woman.” Said Saber. He raised his sword again, this time he was intending to kill. Archer raised her one sword while summoning it’s black tinted partner and holding it’s grip in reverse.

“You are strong, Saber. But kill me? That’s a good joke.” She told him with a sarcastic smile. Her enemy’s expression was unreadable behind the mask.

“Bold words for someone so weak. I could give you a head start so that you can pull out your bow, Archer.” Said Saber. Yes, this heroic spirit was monstrously strong. Without enough distance, and even with that, the woman could not win in a straight fight.

They both got into a stance. The night air blew, and their swords clashed.

The servants moved at lightning speed, their blows illuminating the garden. Saber held nothing back, and his sword play was masterful. No holes in his defense, and any counter attack Archer planed was pushed back. His blows could break her swords apart at any time, and if she blocked directly she was sure he would slice trough them and hit her. This was a losing battle.

“Hold on! Archer!” Screamed a voice. Archer parried a blow and kicked Saber back, returning to her Master’s side. He would attempt to kill him, and end her connection, she could see it.

The boy attempted to stop her.

“Stand back you moron!” She told him, preparing to block Saber’s next attack. The man in black lunged forward, and with more speed and strength than before struck. Her twin swords blocked together, and shattered together. Saber was now poised for the final blow to her unguarded chest.

“Saber! I order you by Command Seal to stop!” Said the girl, raising her hand. The emblem glowed, and a red pulse was emitted as a mark disappeared. Saber shook, and his sword stopped dead inches from her body. He then darted back, near his Master.

Archer smirked. Even if her plan had not been successful, at least her enemy had one less command seal to use. The battle had ended. She had made it with her life thanks to a stroke of luck, and her Master lived.

“You alright?” He asked. She looked at him with an impassive face.

“Not thanks to you, but yes.” She said. Even if he was not _her,_ he spoke like _her_ , and seemed to carry himself like _her_. And that brought her some disgust, even if it was misplaced.

“Sorry but… I don’t understand anything. Why are you fighting? Why is he trying to kill me?” He asked. That clueless expression made her mouth twist downwards.

“Do you even know anything?” She asked.

“If no one explains anything, how am I supposed to?” Before she could argue further, the girl in front of her spoke.

“I see. A novice Master.” She said. Master and Servant turned to her as she stepped to be at her Servant’s side. “First off. Good night, and a pleasure to meet you, Emiya-kun”

* * *

They were now sitting in a familiar room, in a familiar house. She stood by her Master, while the girl in red stood alone opposite of them, having sent her Saber outside to look out for intruders. Killing her would be easy, Archer was fast. Yet, now that everything seemed more calm, she could finally be bewildered.

She stared very openly at what she could only describe was a boy very similar to _her,_ the same in every detail except he was male. And the same applied to the girl, who was like a gender flipped version of _him._

“Archer…” Said the boy, who was trying to have a conversation with the girl.

“What is it, Master?” She said, snapping into attention.

“You are staring. Very hard.” He said.

“So? I must analyze my enemies.” She answered.

“But you are making everyone uncomfortable.”

“Sitting at a table with an enemy usually does that.” She said, as if it was a fact of life.

“She’s not an enemy!” He said, now fully facing her.

“Oh really? Her Servant tried to kill you, if I recall. Is that not an enemy?” She asked, now irritated. She knew that attitude.

“She may have, but that doesn’t mean…” He began to say, but the girl interrupted her.

“Excuse me. But I’m still here. And I can say that for now, I’m not your foe, Emiya.” Said the girl. So it was true. The boy’s name was Emiya.

“Sorry for excluding you Tohsaka.” The boy apologized. “I’m just really confused about everything that’s all.” He said. The girl’s name was Tohsaka. Everything was falling in place.

“Let me ask you something, girl.” Said Archer.

“What is it?” Shot back the girl with a glare. She attempted to look tough. Which was strange, since in her memory, the one who would be Ren Tohsaka was much more… teasing.

“You are Tohsaka, am I wrong?” She asked.

“I am.” She replied after a moment, completely serious. She then turned to her Master.

“And you, are Emiya.” She stated.

“Emiya Shirou. That’s me. How did you know?” He asked.

“The grail has granted me information necessary to navigate this era. So naturally I know your names.” She said. It was all a lie. Except for the parts related to heroic spirits.

“I see.” Said Shirou.

“Well then, Emiya, it seems that you haven’t fully grasped the situation. I’ll take you to the overseer of the war. After that, you’ll have to decide your standing. Is that clear?” She asked. The boy nodded.

“Well then, let’s go.” She said, standing up with a regal smile.

“What… now?” He asked.

“Yes… Now. Maybe switch out of those bloody clothes.” She said before exiting the home. Master and Servant were left alone for a moment. Then Archer stood up.

“I’ll wait outside. Call me only if you need me.” She stated plainly, leaving the very confused boy behind.

* * *

The Tohsaka girl took him to the Church on the hill, to see an Overseer. Yet, the woman she remembered taking care of the church was gone, replaced by a priest who made her alert. Since the church was neutral ground, she was told to remain outside.

She had time to think now. She had her chance. She could kill the boy, and end her suffering. Or at least, save this world from another so called “Hero of Justice”. He was stubborn and unwilling to attack another Master. She knew that behavior. She hated it. As soon as he stepped out, she could drive a sword trough his gut. Put an arrow between his eyes. Blow him to smithereens. And yet… that boy wasn’t _her._ Even if they looked similar, there were subtle differences. The boy didn’t hide his pain like _her_ , simply ignored it. If one looked carefully, his emptiness was clear as day. He was kind. He was patient.

She did not know what to do. And it annoyed her to no end.

The doors of the church opened. She could hear the voice of the priest.

“Rejoice, boy. Your wish will certainly be fulfilled.” He said before closing the doors. The sound echoed trough the night.

Archer looked at Shirou. His eyes were haunted by something the priest said. She snickered, knowing that expression very well.

“What’s so funny?” He asked.

“Your face.” She answered.

The boy grimaced, then looked at her with a stare that seemed to be of steel.

“Archer. What is your wish for the grail?” He asked her suddenly. She was taken aback for a moment, but gave her answer without hesitation.

“Not much. There’s just someone I need to find. That’s all.” She said. The boy looked at her with an impassive face. She returned the stare, neither willing to give ground.

“I’m going to fight, not for a wish, but to prevent anyone else’s from harming others.” He said. That was his wish. The wish to save others by giving up his own. How foolish could he be?

“Will you help me?” He asked, raising a hand. A formal gesture. Their pact was already formed, yet he still wanted to validate it. She needed to finish it. She knew how this would end. Yet…

This wasn’t her world. This wasn’t her war. She knew not what would happen in the middle, only the end. She, long ago, had wanted to help others. She knew herself, she knew her hopelessness. This boy was the same, but not. Could she dissuade him? Could she save him? Things were different. Perhaps, he was different. She needed to believe that, because otherwise, she would have to kill him.

“Of course, Master. My bow is yours.” She answered, taking that hand. Memories came to her, of a blonde knight, who took that same hand.


	2. Flowers

Shirou Emiya had an unusual awakening. His dreams about fire, about desolate plains and swords were gone. He did not dream of anything in particular, which lent itself to him being a little less rested. Even so, he got up without skipping a beat.

While dressing, he looked at the back of his hand. The proof that yesterday's events had occurred. Holy Grail War, Servants, Command Seals. All concepts new to him. He was now in a war, but it was to save millions. And he wasn't alone, he had his own Servant. The red knight that saved him from the masked swordsman. She swore to fight alongside him despite how she seemed to find him both irritating and amusing. Yet, it gnawed at him. Why did she have to help him? How could he ask her to risk her life?

After the trip to the church, a small girl in white had presented herself to them. While she did nothing at first, she said some terrifying words:

"I'll kill you both in time. Savor these last days, and have fun." Her voice had been innocent enough that Shirou stepped forwards to ask her if she was alright, but before he noticed she as gone.

After that, Tohsaka declared their small truce over, and that their next meeting would be as enemies. Nothing eventful happened after, but he could feel Archer's anxiety.

Even as she said she would patrol at night, he left a room prepared for her before going to sleep.

And so he found himself again at the door to that room, knocking.

"Archer. You awake?" He asked loudly. No answer came. "I'm coming in." He announced.

The room was empty, futon untouched. Had Archer not slept at all?

Heading to the kitchen, he wondered where the tan woman was. A detail mentioned by Tohsaka came to mind. The contract between Master and Servant allowed for them to communicate trough their minds. And so he searched for her mentally. He found something, right above him.

_"Archer?"_ He asked in his mind.

_"Master. Good Morning."_ Answered a slightly disinterested voice.

_"Did you sleep at all?"_ He wondered. They needed to be at full strength in this war. At the very least he wanted so switch posts to share sleep.

"I don't need sleep. I’m a heroic spirit. Did you forget that?" She asked with some sarcasm.

_"Doesn't your mind get tired?"_ He asked, donning his apron and preparing breakfast for his coming visitors.

_"No. And even if it did,_ _I’_ _m your Servant. Do not hesitate to utilize me as a mere tool."_ She answered.

_"Even if you're a tool, I refuse to treat you that way. You're still a person."_ He countered.

_"I'm a machine for killing, and you should be treating me as such."_ She said, her voice almost emotionless. Shirou almost dropped his knife.

_"Aren't you being a little too... Serious?"_ He asked with a bead of sweat on his forehead. Even if he found that amusing, her declaration still filled him with concern.

"Master. Two people are here." She said, putting a stop to any further conversation.

_"Sakura and Taiga. Please don't do anything suspicious."_ He pleaded, now preparing the table after finishing making the meals. Normally he would ask Sakura for help, but today he was more responsible than ever for the well being of everyone in Fuyuki.

_"Wouldn't dream of it, Master."_ She said with a tone that sent shivers down his spine. Regardless, he ignored the feeling and tried to return his schedule to normal.

* * *

  
  


Breakfast was going well. Taiga did not fail to show in exorbitant ways how good it was, and Sakura smiled while taking glances at him before turning away. They made small talk while Taiga went on about the students, teachers, and frustrations in her life.

Shirou smiled all trough that. After all the revelations of last night, being on familiar grounds gave him some peace.

"Well, well, did you make that by yourself? I'm impressed." Said a smug voice. It was neither Sakura nor Taiga's. It was deep, cool and strong. Like Archer's. Exactly like hers. All three occupants of the room turned towards the intruder in their midst. Indeed, in the doorway leading further into the Emiya residence stood a woman, propping her body on an elbow against the wall while the other rested on her hip. Tan skin, grey eyes, white hair tied back in a ponytail, wild enough that it looked like it was trying to escape it’s bound. She smiled smugly at him, as if enjoying his speechlessness.

"A...A...Ar...." He tried to say, but his words would not come out. He was flabbergasted at how the woman had gone against his wishes and disrupted his breakfast, while looking attractive on top of it. Her black button dress shirt and black dress pants highlighted her hair and skin. Her body was tall and lean. He had never been so entranced by someone other than Rin Tohsaka. And it felt wrong. He had only just met her.

"Call me Archer." She said while going to sit at Shirou's side, expertly ignoring everyone's gazes. Seeing only three portions of meal, she turned to Shirou.

"You didn't take me into account? I'm hurt Shirou." She said, feigning sadness. The boy sighed, trying to regain control of the situation.

"Forgive me, but I thought you would not come.” He answered as calmly as possible, glaring daggers at the woman while she looked as aloof as the day before.

“Hold on a minute!” Screamed Taiga, eyes furious and body leaning over the entire table. “Just who the hell is this woman! What is she doing here!” She pointed an accusatory finger at Archer, who paid her no mind. In the corner of his vision, Shirou noticed Sakura had frozen stiff. This was not going well.

“I told you, I am called Archer.” She answered with disinterest.

“I heard you. I want to know where you came from!” Replied the Tiger, ready to pounce.

“She’s a… a…” Shirou tried to say, thinking about an excuse. Then an image of his father came to his mind. Kiritsugu traveled a lot, and he was bound to have met some unusual people. He prayed he would forgive him for using his name. “A business partner of Kiritsugu. She’s only going to stay a few days.” He replied, forcing a smile while Archer looked at him with an impassive expression.

However, Taiga did not relent.

“Even if she is a foreign acquaintance, it is simply unacceptable that she stays here! She has to go.” Demanded the teacher, sitting down again, arms crossed.

“But Fujimura…” Shirou could not finish his sentence, the teacher had already dug herself in her position.

“You cannot change my mind.” She said.

“You’re being unreasonable.”

“Am not!”

“You are.”

“Am not!”

“Excuse me, little Tiger.” Said Archer, raising a hand and interrupting the argument of the teacher and student. Taiga looked at her like she wanted to maul her neck.

“What?” She asked.

“Shouldn’t you be getting to school? A teacher must set a good example, should she not?” She asked, pointing at the clock. It was almost time for school.

“Don’t try to…” She began saying before a hand grabbed her wrist. Sakura was looking at the teacher with a broken expression, one Shirou hadn’t seen since he met her.

“Please, Fujimura, let’s just go.” She said in a low tone. Shirou felt a pang of guilt in his heart, but reminded himself that he had done nothing wrong. They were just overreacting, it would settle down soon enough.

Taiga puffed, and then stood up while rattling the whole table. “This is not over.” She said, pointing dramatically at Archer who looked at her with a deadpan expression.

“Let’s go, Sakura.” She said with a sweet smile, turning around to exit the room. Sakura followed her silently, before turning to Shirou.

“See you at school, Senpai.” She said, voice barely more than a whisper.

After the woman and girl exited the mess hall, everything was left in silence. Archer sat on one corner, looking at the left behind food while Shirou ate his in melancholy. He had hoped this arrangement would not create drama, but it seems it was destined to fail thanks to a certain someone.

“I thought I told you to stay out of sight.” He said, trying to show his irritation.

“It sounded more like a suggestion.” She said nonchalantly.

“Why did you do this? What’s the benefit of this? Now Taiga and Sakura are worried and are gonna be pushy all day.” Shirou said.

“Maybe, but they’re gone. Now we have time to plan a strategy.” She said, putting down the empty bowl that once had her breakfast.

“And we couldn’t do that later.” He said, sarcastically.

“No. But anyone can be a Master. From a random unlucky schmuck to a Magus with experience. It’s better to hole up, and wait for the Masters to reveal themselves.” Shirou turned around to look at her with a hard expression.

“Are you implying Sakura and Taiga are Masters?” He asked, voice low and dangerous. The woman looked back at him. Her gaze told him everything he needed to know.

“They could be. Do you know them well enough to tell for sure?” She asked.

“Of course I do! I’ve known Taiga my whole life.” He said, rubbing the bowls and plates harder. He couldn’t stand this.

“I guess you do. But what about Sakura?” She asked.

“What about her?” He replied, trying to dispel the conversation.

“Do you know her well enough to tell? Do you know her likes, dislikes; her days, her family?” Asked Archer, now with a tone that sounded like scolding. Yet, Shirou could not reply. He knew Sakura, or that’s what he believed.

“Of course I do.” He said, trying his hardest to not let uncertainty show. Again, Archer looked at him with a questioning gaze.

“Maybe you could start walking her home, or something.” She finished nonchalantly. Shirou looked at her for a moment, then back at his plates. He was gripping them hard. Realizing this, he decided to put washing on hold for the return home.

Without saying a word to his servant, he changed into his school clothes, grabbed his bag and went to the door before being stopped once again by his Servant.

“What’s wrong?” He asked.

“We need to stay put. Get our bearings.” She said.

“I’m not staying. I have to go to school.” he said, walking past her and opening the door to his house.

“Master, I don’t think you have realized that this is a war. Enemies could be anywhere.” She said sternly. He turned around to look at her, standing in the doorway with her fists balled.

“I know. But I can’t stop going to school. People need me, besides it would look suspicious.” He said.

“Need you? Who?” She asked. At her question, Shirou simply stared ahead.

“People. Schoolmates.” He replied.

“That really narrows it down.” She said sarcastically. He was not playing that game.

“Someone could need help, and I need to be there for them.” He said resolutely, turning around once more to face his servant. She was scowling at him now.

“You would risk your safety for a bunch of nobodies who don’t care wether you help them or not?” She said. Her tone now was harsh and laced with emotion. Shirou wanted to reply, but found his thoughts drifting. He did not know every student that asked for help, did not care to remember their faces, but even so he could not abandon them. He could not fathom that option.

“Yes.” He replied simply. Without another word, he started walking away from home.

Archer did not follow him.

* * *

The trip to the school was uneventful. Shirou’s mind zoned out as he traveled the same path he had for a few years now, almost automatically. His mind was already thinking about what he would cook, his training regimen, his schoolwork and his actual work.

It almost didn’t seem like a war was going on, and he decided that it was due to the lack of Archer’s presence that reminded him of that fact.

However, even his normal life at school seemed destined to change. When he arrived at the gates, he saw something unusual. Sakura was with a girl he had never seen before, with blueish hair and fair skin, talking with her in an amicable and carefree way unseen by anyone before.

He knew his underclassman was shy and reserved, so seeing her like that was strange, but at the same time, he felt happy for her, and chided himself. He could not make her smile that way.

He shook those thoughts away as he approached her.

“Oi! Sakura!” He called out, raising one hand. The purple haired girl and her new acquaintance turned around to face him. Instantly, Sakura’s expression shifted again to her usual one, eyes downcast and the corners of her mouth down.

“Senpai. Are you finished already with… that woman?” She asked. She sounded sad, yet Shirou could not understand why.

“Yes. Sorry for that by the way. She kinda came over without notice, but I couldn’t just turn her away.” He said, trying to excuse Archer’s presence.

“It’s alright Senpai. You can do whatever you want.” She said. Shirou looked at the girl beside her. She was wearing the female Homurahara uniform, and seemed to be observing him with a blank stare.

“Hi. I’m Shirou. Are you new at school?” He presented himself, with a slight bowl. The girl’s expression didn’t change, but she seemed to look at Sakura for a moment before addressing him.

“I am, indeed.” She said simply, seemingly leaving the conversation at that. The boy shifted uncomfortably, feeling strange. This routine continued until Sakura broke the ice.

“Her name’s Serena, Senpai. She’s still unaccustomed to the school, so I’m guiding her. I hope you don’t mind.” She said

“Oh. Not at all. I hope you two can become friends.” He said with a smile, although it was not totally sincere, and seemed kind of forced. Shirou could not help but feel something was being invaded, but feeling that, it was wrong. It was selfish. So he pushed it down as hard as he could.

“Thanks Senpai.” Said Sakura.

“We are glad to have your approval.” Said Serena, with a bow. Shirou smiled, and extended a hand.

“Maybe you can come home, we’ll have a meal together with Sakura and our teacher Fujimura.” He said, forcing a smile and invitation, trying his best to be polite. She was a new girl, and she needed friends, everyone did. Even if he didn’t like it, he would be.

Serena looked at his hand in shock for a moment, but then closed her eyes and returned to her almost blank expression.

“We have class, Serena. We must go!” Said Sakura suddenly, grabbing the girl by the shoulder. The new classmate flinched at the contact, but followed Sakura without question. “See you later Senpai!” Shouted Sakura from far away, disappearing into the school grounds. Shirou stood there for a moment, thinking about the new girl, his hand left hanging.

* * *

The day continued as normal, with Shirou not spotting neither Sakura nor Serena during classes or between them. He thought it strange, but paid it no mind. Walking towards the Student Council room to meet Issei for lunch, he spotted Rin walking trough the hallway, her own lunch in hand.

Normally he would let her pass, but since their meeting that night, he no longer saw her as a stranger, as something far away from his reach. So he decided to greet her.

“Good Day, Tohsaka.” He said simply, walking past her. She heard the sounds of footsteps stop.

“Emiya. You are not supposed to greet your enemies. I already extended my kindness one with you.” She said coldly. He looked back at her. She regarded him with a blank stare, the same everyone was giving him today.

“Are we really enemies?” He asked. Her eyes narrowed.

“Yes. We are at war, or did you already forget that? Or are you actually stupid?” She asked, venom lacing her voice.

“Then, why are you not attacking me?” He asked. It was a simple, logical question. She talked like an enemy, but did not act like it. And he would not either; sure, if she attacked he would retaliate, but even then he would not try to kill her.

Rin said nothing for a moment, seemingly analyzing him from head to toe. He actually started feeling uncomfortable, but luckily she talked again before it could become worse.

“I am the Tohsaka heir, and as such, this is my town. My family owns these lands, and I must care for them. Damaging them in a Servant battle, especially in the middle of the day, would be extremely foolish. But if you continue strolling like that so casually, I’ll have to take action. Good day Emiya.” She said, turning around and giving him the cold shoulder.

His hopes of friendship had been somewhat dashed, but it was hard to take those threats seriously after sharing dinner with her the night her Servant attacked him, and she saved him despite being easier to kill him. Still, her behavior left him confused.

* * *

As usual, Issei Ryuudou had waited for him to arrive, and both of them set to have lunch while talking about unimportant and random subjects. However, the girl that was with Sakura still lingered in his mind. He could not shake a strange feeling of being watched by multiple eyes at every junction. When he was with Issei was the only time in that day he felt at peace.

Of course, Issei had some work for him. While fixing a ball throwing machine the school had on grounds for baseball training, Shirou decided to take action. Somewhat.

“So, Issei, have you seen this new girl?” Asked Shirou. His friend, who was reading a book, looked to him who was in the corner of the room near the windows.

“A new girl? Hmm. Can’t say I have, but I heard some things.” He said, arching an eyebrow.

“And?” He pressed.

“And what?” Issei countered.

“What have you heard?” He asked more bluntly.

If Issei had looked confused before, he was now straight up bewildered. Shirou did not know why.

“Are you alright, Emiya? Why such interest in… anything?” He asked.

“What do you mean?” Shirou asked back, confused. Issei took a long sigh, as if wanting so say something he held back.

“Emiya, I don’t want to sound unkind, you ARE my best friend, but…” Issei said, looking away for a moment. Shirou widened his eyes. Yes, Issei was his friend but for him to express it, it was strange. “… you don’t really seem like you have any interests. You kinda just do things for people and study. Mind you, I really appreciate it, and you are really a blessing for the student council, but you at times don’t…” he said, struggling to find words. Shirou felt a tug at his chest, like something bad was coming.

“...don’t?” He pressed.

“… Never mind.” Said Issei finally, letting out a breath. He then smiled at him, which was also strange. “You having an interest in a girl is something good, I think. Sadly I haven’t heard much about her. Only she is a transfer student. I suggest that if you try to woo her-”

“Okay, that’s enough. I just wanted to know about her, she seemed to be friends with Sakura, that’s all.” He said quickly, blushing slightly.

“Oh, then you are jealous Sakura is getting a new friend?” Issei asked, returning to his previous no-nonsense demeanor.

“I just want to make sure she is with the right people.” He answered, lying about it. Issei closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded as if approving of something.

“Then it seems we are of the same mind.” He said cryptically.

“what?” Shirou asked confused. Then, Issei got up.

“I too have my suspicions. I’m glad you are concerned about this new arrival. I suggest we make an investigation.” He said.

“Eh?”

“I’ll see what I can find. We’ll meet here tomorrow and discuss our findings. You keep an eye on Sakura.” He said, completely serious, before exiting the room. Shirou was left alone, looking at the door that his friend had left trough.

“EEEEH?!”

* * *

The day continued. Classes came and went, as well as requests for assistance. Apparently, many devices in the school had gone either missing or broken down. Lights, hoses, gym devices. All Shirou was asked to fix. He barely had any respite, but he was finished at dawn. Except…

Someone made a mess on the Archery Dojo, and it was up to Shirou to clean it up. At this rate, he would not be able to get home in time to make dinner. Still, he did it anyway. Cleaning every nook and cranny that was full of a strange viscous substance he could not identify but that smelled like rotten vegetables.

  
  


  
  


When he was done, the sky was a dark orange color, and the school was almost empty. He closed the door to the dojo and locked it with the key Ayako Mitsuzuri gave him. The Archery club captain had been livid, and attributed the mess to Shinji, before Shirou had reminded her he had not been seen all day.

Putting the key in his pocket, he turned around with his bag over his shoulder.

“So, this is what you do all day, huh?” A female voice said behind him. A voice he knew.

“Archer?” He asked. Turning around once again, to see nothing behind him.

“That’s me.” Said a disembodied voice. Shirou could feel it coming from in front of him. He could feel _something_ there.

“Are you in my head?” He asked.

“No, you moron.” She said. A blue mist, along with same colored moths of light washed over something and Archer materialized in front of him, wearing the red, gold and black outfit she had the night she saved him. Her hair was loose, going down her shoulders to her back, almost as shaggy as his own.

“You can turn invisible?” He asked.

“I’m not a person, but a spirit. Thus, I can change forms between a Spiritual Manifestation and a Physical One.” She explained.

“So, you can turn into a ghost.” he said.

“Basically. Although it costs lower mana for you to maintain me, I cannot touch or sense anything like a normal human while as a Spirit. For that, I need to manifest my body.” She continued.

“I see.” He said. “So you followed me to school, even tough I told you not to.” He said with accusation clear in his voice. She crossed her arms over her ample chest, along with a frown.

“Indeed. This school is dangerous, Shirou. I can feel trace magical energy all around us.” She said. Shirou tensed at this.

“Which means, Servants have been here. Or Masters.” He said, more to himself.

“Exactly.”

“But… maybe it was Rin.” He said.

“Who is an enemy. Who may be preparing traps for you.” She said.

“You don’t know that.” He said back.

“Believe me, I do. Mages care only about their research, about winning, nothing else.” She said, her voice full of spite.

“Tohsaka is not like that.” he countered, his voice slightly trained. Archer looked at him, her gaze piercing him.

“We’ll have to see.” She said. Neither said anything at all for a moment. Shirou looked at her, trying to find a reason she put up with him. It was obvious he was irritating her, that she did not like him, yet she remained here. She spoke again, tone much more soft, like a mother or sister reprimanding their little brother.

“If you are going to come here, then at least go home early.” She told him. It was almost like an order.

“I’ll try.” he answered simply.

“That’s not good enough.” She countered, voice once again laced with irritation.

“If people need me, I can’t deny them.” He said.

“You can. I told you already.”

“No, I CAN’T” He said, this time with much more force. Archer said nothing for a moment. She seemed to hesitate before talking again.

“Why?” She asked. It was a simple question, yet, he did not know what to answer except…

“They need me.” He replied. “I have to help them.”

“Even if you’re hurt? Look at your hands.” She said. Shirou did, they were red, calloused, with some blisters. They hurt, but he did not mind.

“It’s fine. It’ll heal.” He said.

“It will, but now you’ll feel pain when cooking for Sakura and Taiga, will you not? And for what? A thank you? Did you at least get that?” She asked. Shirou felt his chest tighten.

“No…” He said, almost a whisper.

“Did you at least enjoy it? Are you happy that you helped people?” She asked. Shirou felt his chest tighten even more, with a cold sensation added to that. His voice died in his throat.

“I…” He could not say anything. He did it… because it was his duty. Because if he did not help people, then… his life was…

Images flashed trough his mind. His father’s smile. The man that was so happy saving him so long ago, that died with a smile on his face.

He pushed those memories away. This was not the time for that. He had to get home, cook, train his magic, prepare for the War.

“Is that all, Archer?” He said in a cold voice. The woman flinched, looking pained for a second before regaining that irritated look she had been wearing since meeting him.

“Yes, Master.” She replied, voice as cold as his.

“Then wait for me at the gates. I’ll be there in a minute.” he said, turning around to head to the school building. Archer said nothing as she dissipated into blue dust.

* * *

The halls of Homurahara were empty, bathed in orange light. Shirou walked those halls, alone with his thoughts. The coldness of his chest had not vanished, and he could not help but think about what Archer had said. Happiness. That thing Kiritsugu had achieved.

He left the keys in the teacher’s lounge, secured the door and prepared to leave, when he spotted another student in the hallway. Blue-ish hair, fair skin, slim body. Serena was looking straight at him, posture relaxed.

Shirou tensed for a moment, but remembering that she was just another student, allowed himself to relax. Maybe she just wanted to talk. Still, it was pretty late. It could get dangerous for a girl at this hour.

“Hi, Serena. It’s pretty late.” He said, approaching her with a smile. “What are you doing here?” He asked. He stopped about two feet away from her. The girl looked at him with a blank expression. Then, she spoke with an airy voice, like a hollow doll letting air out from it’s insides.

“I wanted to apologize for my uncouth behavior, Emiya-senpai.” She said with a bow. That seemed to let an aroma flow to him. It smelled like flowers, a pleasant and entrancing scent.

“No worries. It can be difficult to adapt to new schools. I’m just glad you’re friends with Sakura. You even share hair color.” He said with a smile. The girl returned it, and it was like being hypnotized. She was so… sweet.

“Thank you.” She said, then her eyes opened as if remembering something important. “Senpai, today you wanted to greet me, and I left you, as Sakura told me, ‘hanging’. I would like to complete that gesture, if you don’t mind. To seal our friendship.” She said. Then, her came close and extended her hand to him. She held it palm up, as if inviting him to dance.

“You want to shake hands? Sure, but, that’s not exactly how you do it.” He said. Confusion washed over her face, and she retracted her arm. However, Shirou raised his in response, palm sideways.

“Here, let’s shake hands, and be friends.” He told her. She smiled sweetly, and extended her hand again.

He smelled roses. Her hand came close. He felt his grow cold for a moment.

“Emiya. What are you doing here?” Said a stern voice. Startled, Shirou turned around.

“Kuzuki-Sensei. What’s wrong?” He asked the man. His english teacher looked at him with an emotionless stare.

“It’s late. Students should have cleared the building already.” He answered harshly. Shirou felt embarrassed for a moment. He almost never got reprimanded. With evenly paced steps Kuzuki approached the two teens.

“Sorry about that. We’ll get going, right, Serena?” He asked the girl. When he looked at her, he found her staring at the teacher with a stare that was hard, almost as if analyzing him, daring him to take action. The teacher either did not notice or mind. Then, after a moment, the girl turned to him.

“Sure, Emiya-Senpai.” She said, voice once again polite. She seemed to gesture for the boy to follow her, before Kuzuki stepped in once again.

“Allow me to escort you to the entrance. I’m leaving as well.” Said the teacher, stepping in between the two teenagers. With a nod, they went on their way. No one spoke a word as their footsteps resonated within the empty halls.

* * *

After some minutes of uneasy silence, they arrived at the entrance. Serena quickly said her goodbyes and went the opposite way from the one Shirou would go to. Kuzuki looked at her leave, for a time longer than Shirou thought necessary.

“Kuzuki-Sensei?” He asked. The teacher turned to him.

“I suggest you leave at the designated time, Emiya. A lot of murders have been occurring, and as a teacher I can’t allow my students to put their own safety in jeopardy.” he said coldly.

“Yes. Of course.” He answered anxiously. Kuzuki never acted that way. He was always cold and distant from everyone, and rarely gave advice outside classes.

“Good. Then I’ll be on my way.” With that, he was gone in the same direction Serena went.

The atmosphere cleared, and Shirou let out a breath he had been holding. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

Walking the path towards his home, Shirou called his Servant.

“Archer?” He asked. He felt her presence beside him. The woman materialized, walking at his side.

“Yes, Master.” She said.

“Kuzuki said something about murders. You think they are related to this war?” He asked. The woman took a moment to answer.

“Possibly. Mages need ritual materials, and Servants can feed on mana from people to sustain themselves. It’s very possible these murders have something to do with that.” She said.

“Hmm.” With that, they kept walking in silence.

“You thinking of stopping them?” She asked, breaking the silence once more.

“Yes.” He answered, looking in front of him with resolution. “You think it’s a bad idea.” He added.

“It IS. But I also don’t like leaving people to die. So I’ll leave that decision to you.” She said. She then looked at him. “You have a plan?”

Shirou looked at her, then ahead, at the buildings that began to light themselves to signal the coming nighttime.

“I’ll have one, soon.”

* * *

Serena walked with mechanical motions. The streets were now familiar to her. All nooks and crannies, all paths and detours. If she were to chase someone, she would catch them.

Yet, the boy had escaped. That man blocked her. That man that gave off an aura of danger. She knew, deep in her heart, that she could not take him lightly. With time, and will, he could even become one of them.

Reaching a curve, overlooking the city, she spotted a boy with blue hair.

“So… is he dead?” He asked with a smirk.

“No.” She answered. With that, his smile faded, giving a face to irritation.

“Geez. I thought your title was for real. But you’re just as useless as my sister.” She did not mind insult to herself, but to her Master…

“Don’t insult Sakura, Shinji. I’ll kill him next time.” She said. The boy let out a huff.

“I’m your Master now. You better remember that. I call the shots.” He said with a sneer.

“Of course.” She answered politely.

“Good.” he said, walking to her side. “As long as we’re clear on that.” He said, raising a hand to, presumably, tap her on the shoulder.

“Do you want to live, Master?” She asked suddenly. The boy stopped cold.

“Then I suggest you don’t do that.” She added. The boy lowered his hand slowly, fear on his face. After taking a few steps away from her, he let out another puff.

“Right, I almost forgot. Please remind me sooner next time.” He said, voice laced with anger.

“Of course.” She answered simply. He walked past her, towards the city.

“Then I’ll see you at home, Assassin. Sakura will be busy, so If you want company, you’ll have to come to me, or the old man.” Said the boy, voice leering, poorly attempting seduction.

She sighed. He truly was an idiot.


	3. Promised Victory

The next day, Shirou Emiya found himself eating peacefully with Taiga and Sakura, both women having returned to their normal demeanor after the past day's events. It seems that sleeping, a regular school day and a good meal at night calmed their moods.

It also helped that Archer was nowhere to be found. Since returning home the past day the servant had been on patrol constantly, and had not appeared even for a second. She had even missed dinner, even tough he made an extra serving and set aside a place for her. However, this seemed to satisfy Sakura, as she was eating with a placid smile that he seldom saw.

The same smile she seemed to have when talking to her new friend. His encounter with Serena the other day lingered on his mind, along with Sakura's relationship with her. Archer's words then resonated in his ears. _Do you really know Sakura?_

He wanted to say he did, but with like many of Archer's recent claims, he found it hard to refute. It was almost like his Servant knew him in and out.

Issei also came to mind; along with Kuzuki's concern for his safety. Maybe the whole Holy Grail War concept had him on edge, but Serena's sudden appearance made him uneasy. He felt horrible suspecting an innocent person, but he had to know more about her.

"Hey, Taiga." He said, catching his teacher's attention as she was taking another bite from her food. "Have you heard about this new transfer student? Serena?" He asked. Sakura seemed to twitch a little, looking at Taiga with slightly more opened eyes. His teacher on the other hand looked at him curiously.

"Can't say that I have been informed on that. But even if I had…" She said, taking another bite while changing her tone to be completely serious. "… I cannot divulge it, you dirty casanova." She said, pointing at him dramatically with her chopsticks. Shirou recoiled at the accusation with a blush.

"Wh- Why does everyone think I have those intentions?!" He shouted. First Issei, now Taiga. If Sakura believed such things then their relationship would take a dive. He did not want to appear like he wanted to woo her new friend.

"Well… you did bring a mysterious woman home, Senpai." Said Sakura in her usual subdued tone. Even she was against him now.

"I told you both! She's a friend of Kiritsugu."

"Who you are allowing to live here, with you, _alone_." She said.

"There is nothing going on. She's like what… thirty?" He asked, trying to play the old woman card.

"That makes it even worse! She could be a cougar." Said Fujimura Taiga.

"Stop that! She's not like that! I don't think…" He said. Fujimura scoffed at this and went back to eating. The small almost-family continued in silence until Shirou decided to bring up his previous subject.

"Anyways, how did you meet Serena, Sakura?" Asked Shirou. His friend looked at him with surprise before looking away with embarrassment.

"She was new, and seemed lost, like she never had any friends, looking at everyone with hostility. So I simply asked her if she was alright, like you once did with me, Senpai." She said with a genuine smile. Shirou looked away, blushing.

"Yeah, that's not exactly how it went with us. You actually came to me." He said.

"But it was similar. And you accepted." She said.

"I… I guess." He answered.

"So that's how I met her. We take care of each other now, she's actually really nice and polite." She said with a smile.

"Maybe she could come over one day. I saw her walk away alone. What with those murders, maybe we could walk her home." He proposed. At this, Sakura denied it with some nervousness.

"N-No need! Serena's parents are really strict, they wouldn't like a… a boy walking her home." She said.

"Damn traditionalists. I could teach them a lesson." Said Taiga.

"If people are like that, nothing much to do to change their minds, Fujimura." Countered Shirou, finishing his plate and putting it in the sink.

"Still… It's been some time since I could beat down someone with a sword." She said, reminiscing of her days practicing kendo. Both women soon finished their plates and put them in the sink. Shirou, as the cook also had to wash the plates, with the help of Sakura. Both teens were left washing while their teacher sat in the room watching the TV on the corner.

Shirou could hear reports of gas leaks, accidents and murders. His mind went back to what Archer said. Magi would use people for gathering materials or mana for their servants. His stomach lurched at the idea of innocents being used like that. He had to stop it, since he had the means. Even if Archer didn't want to, he would go on his own if he had two.

"Senpai?" Asked Sakura, shanking him out of his own head.

"Ah, sorry Sakura. I was just… thinking about those murders." He said, grabbing a dirty plate to scrub.

"Oh. Yeah, it's unfortunate." She said, going back to silently drying the plates Shirou left in the other sink. The boy's mind went back to another thing Archer said. _Why do I think so much about her?_ Walking Sakura home, learn more about her. He looked at the girl. She had grown since a few years ago. Her skin was soft, her figure fuller, and her hair a beautiful and vibrant color.

"Sakura, it's dangerous these days." He said. She looked at him, puzzled. Shirou almost had to force the next words out of his mouth. He was doing this to keep her safe, nothing more. "Let me walk you home. At least to keep my mind at rest." He said. At this, Sakura looked the other way, turning her head with speed he hadn't seen before.

"Sakura?" He asked. She mumbled something while facing away from him.

"What?" He asked, getting closer to her to hear better.

"Yes. I don't mind, Senpai." She said, looking at him with a smile and a blush over her shoulder.

* * *

The walk to Sakura's house was pleasant; with both teens traveling side by side, doing small talk or enjoying the walk in a comfortable silence. The sky was a dark, the moonlight almost out in the open while the streets were lit up and silent, as if all of Fuyuki was asleep. It was both peaceful and a little unnerving, Fuyuki was not a 'night city', but usually some people remained roaming at night, even in week days.

After half an hour they arrived at Sakura's doorstep. A house undistinguishable from all the others. Two lit up windows were present. He was sure one belonged to Shinji, while the other he did not. He was sure it was not Sakura's, since the girl told him her room faced the garden.

"Thank you for taking me here, Senpai." Said Sakura with a small bow.

"It was no issue, Sakura. I actually enjoyed it." He said with a smile. She blushed, looking away.

"There's no… I don't know why you would." She said, holding a fist to her chest as if holding onto something. Shirou looked at her in confusion.

"As long as it's with you, it's good. Besides, it's good to take a walk once in a while." He said with the same smile. He then looked at her, and observed her downcast expression. "Hey, it's everything alright? Is Shinji bothering you?" He asked her.

"No, not at all. He's just…" She said, but her voice trailed off.

"… More bothersome than usual?." He finished. "If he does something to you, let me know." He declared seriously. Sakura once again looked at him, surprised.

"But… why? He's your friend." She asked.

"Even friends need to set each other straight at times." He answered.

They stood there in an awkward silence for a moment, neither saying anything but both holding each other's gazes. Sakura looked shocked, Shirou impassive. That moment lasted for longer than needed, but was not unpleasant. It was Sakura who broke it, however.

"Well, see you tomorrow, Senpai." Said Sakura in haste, before running to the house. She disappeared behind the door, leaving Shirou alone in the night. He wondered what had elicited such a reaction from her.

He began walking home, thinking about Sakura and Shinji. He knew the boy had grown quite displeasured with Sakura, but perhaps there was more happening. Shinji had grown unpleasant these last few years, and their friendship was extremely flimsy, with them not interacting unless the blue haired teen wanted to ask a favor to the orange haired one.

His thoughts then drifted once again to Archer's advice. He now knew that something was up with Sakura. And now he could help her if needed. Maybe the woman really was trying to help him. He would have to make it up to her somehow.

He then thought back to Sakura, and her home. Only she and Shinji lived there as far as he knew, but that second light on the front. Perhaps they had one more family member to care for them. If so, he never heard of them. Another mystery to the pile.

On his way home, he could hear the sound of buzzing insects. It was spring, the cicadas should not be active for a while.

Luckily, he arrived to his home before he knew it.

* * *

Shirou entered his residence. Taking a look around the front, he noticed nothing out of the ordinary, no insects to make sounds or people walking by. Taiga's motorcycle was gone, and so he assumed she had left.

Stepping into the living room, he noticed the lights had been left on, a single bowl with food on the table. He had made it for Archer, but the woman never came. He sighed, and then picked it up to microwave it. Perhaps she did not know that he had made her food, and so it would not be polite to leave her hungry, if heroic spirits even got hungry.

_Archer. I made you some food, but it got cold. You still want it?_ He asked her in his mind. He got no response, but he still felt her presence there. She just wasn't answering.

Taking the bowl out, he decided that he was not going to be ignored, he worked hard to cook for her and would make her at least taste some of it.

Walking trough the darkened halls of his home, he went to the room he had made for her. He found the door to it slid slightly open, but no light from the inside. Arching an eyebrow, he decided to call out.

"Archer?" He said. Hearing no response, he got concerned and decided to take a look. At worst, she would be sleeping.

In the corner of the room, illuminated faintly by some stray moonlight rays was the Servant of the Bow, sitting against the wall, eyes shut and seemingly asleep. No, she was not asleep, it looked more like meditation. Her breathing was even and her face peaceful.

Between her legs, cradled by her arms clad in red rested something that left Shirou speechless. A beautiful golden sword was being embraced by her. It was ornate, it's hilt was decorated with blue markings along with jewels, and it seemed to blend with the blade making it look shorter than it really was. The blade itself was immaculate with a few carvings he could no read spreading it's middle; and a blue one at it's tip.

He was mesmerized by the sword, so much he could not stop looking at every detail and intricacy. Even if it seemed more like a decoration than a proper weapon, he longed to hold it in his hands. He wondered how a woman that was supposed to wield a bow got a hold of such an artifact.

He wanted to get a better look at it, and at her. He never dwelt much on Archer's appearance, mostly because the Servant would react to the slightest glance in her direction and he didn't want to seem strange; but now he was quite enraptured by her features. But she was quite beautiful, with her contrasting silver hair and tan skin, her face seemingly hardened from many battles. Her muscles seemed strained against her outfit, while the armor underneath hugged her figure and did not leave much for imagination. A perfect blend of strength and beauty.

His mind wandered so much that he fell face first into the room with a loud sound and a small yelp.

The woman awoke, the blade in her arms fading into golden dust.

"Shirou? What are you doing?" She asked, with eyes wide and eyebrows folded into a frown.

"Archer. Hey, I was just…" He said, trying to find an excuse.

"Peeping at a sleeping woman?" She asked, arms now crossed over her chest and standing over him. Shen then sighed, and offered him a hand. "Don't worry, you don't seem the type."

He took her hand, and stood up. The bowl in his other hand had remained stable and almost nothing had spilled.

Even with both people standing, he still had to look up at her. He wondered why everyone was taller than him, especially a woman. Noticing she was waiting for an answer, an explanation, he looked away, trying to find the right words to not sound too bad, but eventually settled on being honest.

"Sorry. I just… wanted to bring you food, and couldn't stop looking at… your sword." He said sheepishly. Looking back at her, he found her eyes wide, a small blush on her face.

"Oh. You saw that." She said rubbing her arm.

"It was… I had never seen anything like it before." He said, his tone low. They remained in silence for a while. It was awkward, so Shirou decided to go back to his original intent.

He lifted his bowl up, showing it to Archer. There were some spills on the sides, but the contents were warm.

"I made it for you. You didn't come to dinner so I thought I'd bring it." He said with a smile. Archer looked at the bowl with wide eyes that turned sad a second later.

"I don't need food. The mana you provide me is enough." She said with her usual impassive voice.

"You ate the other day." he countered with a frown.

"I was just pulling your arm." She said with a smirk and closed eyes.

"But you enjoyed it." He said. Her smile disappeared, and the woman looked away.

"I have tasted better." She said. The woman really had a knack for annoying him. Apparently reading his feelings, she smirked once again. "But it was pretty good."

"So, why not eat, then? There's no downside." He said.

"It would be a waste of resources." She answered.

"It's not wasted on you Archer. And even if it were a waste, I don't care." He replied. He was not going to budge. Archer looked at him with an expression that shifted between anger, sadness and what he could only describe as reminiscence.

"If I don't want to eat, I won't eat." She answered finally, crossing her arms.

"Then I'll stay here all night." He countered, standing as tall as he could, feet planted firm on the ground.

"Then I hope you are not tired, but judging by your schedule, I'd say you are about ready to crash into your bed." She said with a frown, daring him to keep going.

"There's a futon there. And you haven't used it." He answered, looking at the still unused sleeping arrangements.

"So you want to get into a lady's bed without her permission?" She asked.

"It's my house, my rules. Besides, you are not much of a lady." He answered. That seemed to struck a cord with the tall woman, whose frown deepened. He felt, for a moment, a wave of killing intent like the time he had called Taiga 'Tiger' in front of a few students by accident.

"That's low blow Shirou. I kinda want to see how far you can take this." She said, once again stone faced.

"As long as it takes for you to eat." He said, once again holding the plate in front of her face.

They remained like that for a few moments, in the pulling rope game of their gazes, before Archer caved in.

"Of course you are not going to drop this." She said, although it seemed to be more for herself than to him. Looking at him once again, she took the plate with force and speed that only a Servant could have.

"Fine. I'll eat your food." She said, spitefully, although Shirou knew she did not mean it. She was already examining it too eagerly.

"Wouldn't it be better to eat at the table?" He asked, inviting her out of the room. The woman went outside without a word.

"I guess so." She answered simply.

* * *

Master and Servant were at the dinning room. Archer worked on her meal while Shirou watched the news on TV. More murders had occurred that night, and while Shirou had been working on a plan since the day before, he could not completely focus on that right now. He was still entranced by the sword the Servant had been hugging before.

He looked at her, she seemed morel like herself now. Stern, impassive and seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

They were Master and Servant, he thought to himself. They were supposed to be allies, to trust each other, yet so much of Archer remained a mystery to him. He wanted to break that wall between them so there would be no inconveniences during the War. And so, he broke the silence with a question.

"Archer, that sword; was it your noble phantasm?" The woman was seemingly pulled out once again from her own mind. She looked at him in surprise before her features took on a resigned fashion.

"Not really." She said, prefacing with a sigh. Shirou arched an eyebrow.

"But… aren't noble phantasms supposed to be the weapons of heroic spirits?" He asked, remembering what Tohsaka had told him about those magical treasures and their importance as trump cards.

"They are. But a heroic spirit can have many legends and tales to their name, and as such, these tales may be so different that they crystallize in different forms. For example…" She said, raising a finger like a teacher. It almost reminded him of his classmate-turned-enemy. "… King Arthur has three noble phantasms at his disposal. His sword excalibur, his lance Rhongominiad, and the sheath of Excalibur, Avalon. He may not have all of them at the same time, but he can materialize with one of them depending on circumstance." She explained. Shirou listened intently to that. But immediately his questions went back to her.

"So, if that sword was not a noble phantasm of yours, then what is your own?" He asked, Archer looked away for a moment as if deciding what to tell him. She was, again, hiding things.

"Shirou, sorry but I cannot reveal that to you now." She said.

"But… why?" He asked.

"Well, for one, with the current mana you are supplying me, I have very low energy reserves. It's so little in fact, that I am weaker than I could possibly be under a proper Master like Rin." She explained. Shirou winced, she was weaker, more vulnerable; because of him. Of his existence.

"I'm so sorry, Archer." He replied.

"It is as it is. Even with this handicap, I'll be able to pull trough. Trust your Servant." She said, trying to be reassuring.

"You say that, but you won't even show me your trump card." He replied, somewhat dejected.

"Well… it's not that useful anyways. Besides, Noble Phantasm are more than big swords and boom lances." She said with a smile.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Some Noble Phantasms manifest as skills, abilities or artifacts innate to the Servant. This is more common for the Rider or Caster classes, who were not combatants in their life." She answered.

"Oh, that makes sense." He answered. "But… you have your dual swords. Are those also your Noble Phantasm?" He asked again.

"In a way." She said while pulling the two swords out of nowhere to show them to him. Black and White curved blades, perfectly crafted and balanced, with matching shapes. He was sure that if he put them in the correct positions, they would make a Ying Yang symbol.

"Wow. They're amazing." He said in a trance. He wanted to touch them. Archer laughed before the swords dissipated.

"They are, they are." She said, with a satisfied smile.

"I guess you also have your bow." He said, addressing the elephant in the room.

"Indeed. I'm not in the Archer class for nothing." She said, now a bow forming in her hand. Black as the night, long as her body and made of a somewhat shiny metal.

"Quite the arsenal." he commented.

"Yes. I had quite some time to collect them." She answered.

"You must have been quite the hero." he praised her with a smile, but that praise was not met with the expected smile and look away or blush, but a frown and somber eyes.

"A hero, huh?" She said. Her voice was bitter. Shirou knew right then he had hit a sore spot, so he changed the subject.

"So, who gave you that sword anyways?" He asked. Archer's eyes narrowed and her lips pursed. He had screwed up, again. He didn't mind being tactless, as long as he didn't hurt people. Still, the woman in front of him answered.

"A man I met long ago." She answered simply, her voice low and airy.

"A man?" He asked, wanting her to elaborate.

"Yes. He was a valiant knight, almost perfect in every way. He saved me many, many times." She answered, her eyes now strained, almost as if she wanted to cry. But it seemed like she was good at containing her sadness, or had no more tears to shed. But another feeling bubbled in his gut upon hearing those praises. That same unpleasant, selfish sensation from the time he first laid eyes on Sakura and Serena talking.

"Sounds like amazing guy." He replied, trying too hard to sound even. Archer didn't seem to notice.

"He was. I loved him so much for that." She replied, looking ahead as if wanting to see some faraway place. Upon hearing the word _love,_ the unpleasant sensation in his stomach grew ten times. He almost wanted to punch it. Archer was too old for him, heroic spirit or otherwise. Besides, he had to be a hero of justice, and win the war. There was no time for, whatever he was feeling.

"So, what happened to him? I mean, you make it sound like you didn't get to spend much time with him." He said, pushing his feeling down the best he could.

"He… left when it was all over. I never saw him again." She said.

"He just left you?" He asked, sounding a little more angry than he intended.

"He had to, but I guess it's my fault he didn't stick around. Perhaps if I had done something more, if I managed to save his heart, push away his regrets, we would have had more time." She said. Her face was even more strained now, yet tears didn't fall and her voice didn't crack. Shirou admired that resilience, yet could not stand to see her sad.

"Hey, it's not your fault. I can't speak since I don't know the story, but I'm sure you tried your best." He said without thinking. Archer looked at him, her expression impassive. After looking at him with a piercing gaze for a moment, she seemed to relax.

"Thanks, but please refrain from speaking about things you don't know about." She said bluntly. Her voice was even, so Shirou had a hard time telling wether he had made her angry or upset, and that made his stomach knot. He did not say anything back, now wanting to upset the woman more.

Neither of them spoke until Archer was finishing her meal, although her expression remained neutral, unlike the usual delighted faces other guests would have upon tasting his food.

"So…" He began, a hand on the back of his head.

"Hmm?" Archer opened one eye to look at him, and the boy moved his gaze away.

"How was it?" He asked, spitting the words in quick succession.

"How was what?" She asked.

"The food." He said.

"Oh. It was good." She said.

"Good?"

"Yes. Although…" She said with a finger on her chin. She seemed to have caught the idea that Shirou wanted an opinion. "… It could have been better."

"What? How?" He asked. It was the first time someone had said his food was not up and above others.

"Well, it doesn't have a… personal touch. You made it perfectly, by following a recipe perfectly. You didn't make it your own." She explained. Shirou had to admit something right there.

"I… never thought about that." He said.

"Of course you didn't. That would require you knowing what you want in your food, and not what others want." She chastised him, and he narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not having this conversation again." He said, crossing his arms. His Servant glared at him, but said nothing.

"Fine. Then let's talk about something more important." She said.

"Like what?" He asked.

"Do you have a plan for the war?" She asked. He looked at her with a satisfied smile.

"Yes I do." He said. She looked at him with surprise.

"Oh…" She said.

"What? You had a plan too?" He asked.

"Well… more like a 'You didn't make a plan at all so I'm picking the baggage' plan, but yes, a plan." She replied with something that would be sheepish if she wasn't so serious about it.

"So… what is this plan of yours?" She asked, leaning on the table, looking at him with some expectation.

* * *

Fuyuki City's commercial district was much more modernized than it's more traditional one. While the later had more houses, small shops and various neighborhoods with small streets and low traffic, her commercial district had large skyscrapers, tramways, public transport, malls, restaurants and much more that made it a proper city. And that included having an illuminated light.

From atop the building Master and Servant were standing on, Shirou had to admit it was quite a sight he did not expect to see, or even thought existed. To him, this was just were he lived.

Archer stood at the border, atop an electrical unit of some sort, black bow in hand and in a ready stance to draw and arrow and fire, yet he could not see any signs of a quiver on her person.

"I can't believe we had the same idea." He said, breaking the silence. He had to up his voice a little to surpass the sound of the winds traveling along the rooftop.

"Yeah. Although mine sounded less stupid." She commented, not drawing her sight away from the city. Shirou deadpanned before pulling out a radio he had brought with him.

"So… how much can you see, exactly?" he asked. He knew Servants where superhuman, but what Archer had told him about her class skills still had him with doubts.

"Four kilometers at most, five if I had a better magus." She said.

"Great, then let's get going." he said, ignoring her unwelcome remark. Turning on the radio, he put on the news channel he heard Kiritsugu sometimes listen to when he was at home or driving him somewhere. A spokesman came on, narrating a recent turn of events where a gas leak had apparently occurred.

"Yan Qing hotel, near…" He said, trying to give her directions towards the distinctly Chinese building.

"I see it." She said, apparently beating him to the punch. He wondered if knowing an area was part of her class, or her legend.

"See anything?" He asked.

"Paramedics, police… No sign of a Servant. They must have already left." She said.

"Alright… next one." He said, again tuning the radio.

The pair repeated this process. It was simple, scan the city with Archer's sight and see any Servant moving trough the night. If that didn't work, then an exposed Master and Servant atop a building was good enough bait for others to enter Archer's kill zone.

* * *

After an hour and a half, Archer could feel Shirou slowly dozing off. Despite his hero complex, he was still human in some way, which eased her mind. She still had a chance to do something.

But for now, she would focus on the War itself. On winning. This plan was one she remembered Ren Tohsaka pulling off, and thus decided to suggest it. Who knew that this time, it would be the Master of Saber (now Archer) making that plan.

She scanned the city again, eyes adjusting the distance, darting from building to building, detecting every movement too fast for a human. Again, she saw nothing but the folk of Fuyuki going about their lives.

"Hey, Archer…" Said Shirou, calling her attention. She was about to turn her head when she saw a shadow run between buildings at the edge of her vision.

"Wait, Shirou." She said, completely focused on her prey. She could see it better, darting around like an animal, a shade of black and purple. This was not like any Servant in her own War, except the Rider that Shinji Matou had summoned. She knew not her identity, but if her Saber could take her on without much effort, then as long as she did not allow her to release her Noble Phantasm, then…"

"Archer." Shirou said, voice now strained. Irritated, the woman turned around fully.

"What do you…!" She said, looking at him, and then at where he was looking. Her words died in her throat. At the other side of their spacious roof, where a smiling Rin Tohsaka and her masked Servant.

"Shit." She muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Not much action this chapter, but next one is a Servant battle. This was supposed to be posted yesterday, but I had a power outage and lost some of the text so I had to rewrite. Sorry about that. Anyways, expect the next chapter in a few days, and I hope you enjoyed this one.


	4. Hunters and Hunted

Archer was a woman that did not panic. She had been in many battles; emerged victorious in many of them. She always found a way, even if more than one retreat was necessary. Careful strategies, ruthless calculations and some trickery had carried her trough her life. Now that she had the ‘battle logic’ of Eye of the Mind, she could easily discern the best path to victory.

Yet what it was showing her right now, against the masked Saber class servant, was nearly making her want to just grab her Master and jump away to safety. And even that option was dodgy. She had to keep her full attention on the servant in front of them, while another was in the opposite direction she was facing, doing who-knows-what.

However, Tohsaka did not display any hostility just yet. She knew the boy, no, the  _girl_ was good natured in some way, and not ruthless in the slightest. Yet, this person was different, and the changes in gender and timeline made her unpredictable.

_ Master. We need to get out of here.  _ She suggested  inside their link.

_Let me handle this Archer._ He replied. She could see his gaze from the side, it was hardened. It was so reminiscent of her own that she  felt her chest tighten .

_Alright_ _. But make sure you don’t get cut in half._ She replied.

_ If that’s the worst that can happen, then there is little to fear.  _ He said. Archer pursed her lips into a thin  line .

The boy took a step forward, and s o she waited for Shirou, who knew her better, to make the call  of  wether to run or fight.  But whatever he did, she would still run away with him wether he wanted to or not.

“Tohsaka. What are you doing here?” Asked the boy, trying to sound friendly. The girl’s expression turned sour.

“I could ask you the same thing. But I could hazard a guess that you are doing something idiotic like using yourself as bait.” She said. Archer raised an eyebrow. She was good.

“You guessed correctly.” He said.

“Really now. Well, I gotta thank you for making things easy for me.” Said the girl after a facepalm.

“You don’t have to do this.” Said Shirou.

“But I do. We are enemies.” She replied.

“I haven’t done anything to you to warrant such a thing.” He countered.

“But you did. Trotting around school, all normal and carefree. That is an insult to me. You probably didn’t even know your Servant was tailing you, but I wanted to believe you did. Anyways, this ends now.” She said. On that, her servant drew out his crimson blade.

“I hope you are ready do die, boy.” Said the masked man. Shirou tensed, and Archer was ready to intercept Saber. Ready to pull out Kanshou and Bakuya from her Noble Phantasm. She stood no chance against the swordsman, but would buy time for Shirou to escape.

“I just wanted to make sure no one else got hurt in this war, Tohsaka. Why is it so hard to understand that?” He asked. The girl looked at him curiously, before stopping her Servant.

“So you did. You put yourself in danger for others. That’s stupid, and irresponsible. But I guess--” Before the girl could finish her sentence, all senses of the group turned to their left. Archer could sense it, a high speed magical energy projectile. She could not make an arrow in time, it would impact. The least she could do was intercept with her twin swords.

However, faster than either Servant, the boy Emiya Shirou dove for the girl in red, knocking her to the floor  and guarding her with his own body . Saber reacted with inhuman speed, and swung his blade against the attack. It detonated in front of him, blowing up the roof of the building in a large explosion.

The shockwave hit her and buried her under rubble;  making her world  go black.

* * *

_The mercenary woman looked at her targets._ _I_ _n the village, along with at least twenty armed guns,_ _she could see as many children and women going about their business_ _. She could leave them alive, carry them to safety after the deed was done._

_She let loose her arrows, each hitting their intended targets in the head. With each kill, her heart broke. But they were misguided instigators. She could not save them. She could only save the innocent. And so she did._

…

…

“ _You did what?” Asked a small arabic man with a mustache that looked like two blades jotting out of under his nose._

“ _I eliminated the targets. As you ordered.” She replied, looking at him with no expression on her face._

“ _But you left the children and women alive, didn’t you?” he asked, pacing around the room. There were other men, guards, but they did not move an inch._

“ _That, I did.” She says, coldly._

“ _And now they know they can use civilians as shields. You’ve fucked everything up!” He yelled at her, trying his best to be at level head with her. He barely reached her neck._

“ _I’ll deal with_ _it_ _when the time comes. They’ll be saved.” She replied with an even voice._

“ _No, you won’t. I want you out of here.” He said, turning back. Her eyes widened for a moment, before returning to their default state of being narrowed and cold._

“ _What about my pay?” She asked. She did not need to pick sides in conflicts. Even if they didn’t want to, she would help both._

_The man turned around, his face red_ _with_ _fury as he trotted towards her._

“ _You really expect pay?” He growled._

“ _I do._ _The mission was completed_ _.” She_ _stated_ _. The man swung her_ _hand_ _at her, slapping her across the_ _face_ _. It stung, but other than her head being turned, she did not move. No one else_ _in the room_ _did anything._

“ _Stupid bitch! I should have you shot, or worse. But fine…” He said, getting something out of his pocket. The woman looked at him once again. He grabbed a stack of money, and cut it in half._

“ _Half for playing hero.” He said, then he grabbed the already halved stack and cut it once more. “And another quarter for pissing me off.” He said, throwing the money at her chest. She picked it up from the floor mechanically._

“ _Thank you.” She said, before turning around to leave. It was not enough to eat. But it did not matter, all that mattered was saving everyone she could. Starvation was nothing compared to that._

* * *

Archer pushed a rock from  atop her. She was covered in dust and debris, but otherwise unharmed. The entire roof had collapsed, flames and smoke jotting up in the air. How would this equate to a gas leak?

She scanned the area, and no enemy attacks came. With that priority out of the list, the woman dashed towards her Master. She could feel his presence, but it was weak. Up ahead, under a pile of rubble that seemed to make up a tomb of cement and metal wire. She easily removed the rocks, and spotted both teens. Shirou was still above Tohsaka.

Without effort, she took out both teens, careful not to move them too much. Rin started coughing as soon as she laid her down the floor, while Shirou heaved heavily. His left arm was bleeding, possibly due to being crushed. As the boy tried to move, he twisted in pain.

“Lay down.” She said, but the boy refused.

“I can’t… we have to…” He began to say, but Archer was ready to refute his claim.

Except, Rin beat her to the punch.

“Are you insane?! You are hurt, you can’t do anything.” She said, crawling to him to inspect his wound.

“I got this.” Said Archer. In her countless battles, she had picked up some first aids skills, and knew how to treat them. Only not with magic.

“That Servant is still out there.” She said.

“She’s right… Archer. Please keep an eye out.” Said Shirou trough heavy breathing as Rin used a healing spell on him.

“Very well.” She said.

“Saber?” Asked Rin to the air. Instantly, the Servant of the Sword was at her side.

“I spotted her master. Two kilometers away. Building with a crane. Possibly an Archer.” Said Saber.

“It can’t be.” Argued the Servant of the Bow.

“Caster, then?” Asked Saber.

“Perhaps.” She said. She looked at Shirou, who was wounded and at the girl tending to him. Yes, this could work. Not like she had any other choice. Unlikely allies were better than none.

“We need to take her down. Level the entire building where she’s taking refuge” Said Archer.

“Not a chance. No maniac will level the city. My city. I won’t allow it. And neither will Saber.” Said Rin. Archer sighed, some things never change.

“Then, we’ll work together. You with me, Saber?” She asked. The man looked at her trough his mask, before nodding. “She fired from far away, she must know she’s not a match for us. However, that projectile was not instant. It had travel time. I can intercept it.” Archer said, then looked at Saber. “Saber, get close to her while I destroy her arrows. I saw her jumping around before, so she could move at any time. Can you keep up with her?” She said. Saber looked at his Master, who nodded.

“Yes.” Replied the man, standing up from his crouched position.

“Good. I’ll try to close in too. Rin, can you handle a Master if one comes?” She asked. The girl looked at her in surprise before nodding.

“Don’t go too far, Saber.” She told her Servant. An understandable choice.

“Yes, master.” Replied Saber. With that, Archer jumped into a section of the building that had not been leveled, providing her the same vantage point she had before the attack.

As soon as she had vision, a purple glint caught her eye. In a second, her bow had already fired. The projectiles collided in a blue explosion.

“Now, Saber!” She said. More projectiles came from multiple directions. Archer intercepted all of them. The attacks twisted and turned like tendrils, and two bypassed her, forcing her to jump into a nearby building. She could not see her attacker.

She dove behind a power supply, and peeked. Her  enhanced eyes scanned the area. It was for a second, but she caught  a glimpse of her. A woman with white hair  and a bow sho o t ing at her,  and the leaping away like an animal .  Archer jumped, avoiding the explosion and firing her own barrage of projectiles.  Her opponent dodged once again, jumping to a building on her left  and disappearing.

Archer landed on another roof, opposite of the enemy Servant’s. Quickly she dived to cover behind an entrance to the roof. She could not see the opponent anymore. But she had sight of the building, and could plan for all possible escape routes. It was a simple glass skyscraper.

She turned to see for the other side, but she only found the masked Saber already peeking from a corner. Startled, she got into a defensive position, and the commotion caused the man to turn around.

“Hey.” he said.

“Hey.” She replied, slightly confused.

“Having some trouble?” He asked.

“Not at all. You?” She replied, awkwardly.

“My daggers can’t reach her.” He answered.

“Daggers?” She asked. She saw them on his person then, and performed her structural analysis on them. They were also pieces of Gram that could not be reforged into the main weapon. And he used them as… projectiles?

“You throw your weapons?” She asked.

“It works.” he said nonchalantly.

“And you call yourself a Saber?” She asked.

“You are an Archer that uses swords.” He countered.

“Point taken.” She said with a sigh. Focusing back on the matter at hand, she peeked out once again.

And moved back as a purple arrow almost ripped her eye out.

“Damnit.” She said.

“She must have massive Magical energy reserves to fire so many projectiles. She attacked me while competing with you. How troublesome.” Said Saber, scratching his cheek, or his mask in this case.

“And she moves back when pushed. She really doesn’t want to engage us. But that gives me an idea.” She said, raising a finger as a metaphorical lightbulb appeared over her head.

“And that is…?” Asked Saber. Archer leaned a bit, just out of range of the enemy, to look at one particular building in the sea of them. One with a crane, no windows and a vacant interior. If they could lure the enemy Servant there, her projectiles would be useless. Hers also, but her swordsmanship would be enough for her.

“Lure her over there. Grab her attention from both sides and make her retreat towards that building over there.” She said, pointing toward the construction site. “You push her while I retreat away from her. I’ll draw her fire, since I’m an Archer.” She explained.

“A sound plan. I’ll do as you say.” He said, then he raised three fingers. “On three?” he asked. Archer nodded, and readied several projectiles so fire from her bow.

“One.”

“Two.”

“THREE!” With that, both Servants leapt in opposite directions, sandwiching their desired building from north and south. Archer felt the assault come, and fired several arrows while leaping from building to building. The barrages from both Servants did not end, but she could see arrows being fired in the direction Saber went to.

She needed to get her attention. Expending more of her precious magical energy, she projected a special arrow, reinforced to be able to fly past the enemy’s projectiles. She saw another barrage, and shot it down. Exceeding it, she shot her projectile, and it flew right to where the projectiles were coming from.

An explosion of air came from the building where the enemy was hiding, and now the feral woman seemed wholly focused on her.

Archer retreated further into the city,  and entered the construction site. The feral woman disappeared, and a stronger barrage started pummeling the building. Archer took cover inside of it, and luckily the rain of purple and black ended without everything collapsing around her.

The tan woman quickly rushed to the openings in the structure, towards the front of it where she last saw the enemy. However, she could not see her anywhere, even as her eyes darted back and forth in her surroundings. She was near a huge whole in the buildings infrastructure, probably for a staircase. Everything else was barren, with only materials and tools laying around as well as foundation pillars providing cover.

Archer retreated away from the opening, further into the site. She needed to stay clear, and wait for Saber. If this woman was acting like a beast, then an ambush was possible.

She waited, bow ready.

She waited. For her enemy.

She waited. For Saber.

Minutes passed in silence.

Had the enemy retreated?  Had  Saber dr i ve n her back?

She turned her head,  looking  into the dark building adorned by pillars. She focused.

She saw two resplendent green eyes in the  darkness . A beast  waiting for the kill.

The enemy Servant leaped at her, one hand  held her bow, the other what would be a gauntlet that resembled a black claw. She  was going to tear her to pieces.

Her Eye of the Mind told her were to strike. She fired bow, but the woman swatted away the projectile and kept going towards her.

Seeing the strike coming, Archer used her bow to hit the enemy, making her fly past her into a pillar. The building shook a little as one of it’s supports was destroyed.

Dust blew over, and Archer pulled her twin swords. With the enemy being so fast, she would have no time to use her bow.

The dust cleared, and a woman stepped into view.  White hair, peridot colored eyes, black and purple bow, cat ears on her head.

“You are…” She began to say, but the woman spoke first. Voice gentle, but every word was accentuated by something… guttural.

“You should have stayed far away, Archer.” She said.

“I’m afraid I like it close and personal.” She said.

“Hmph. You truly are a hero. Even going as far as not destroying the buildings I was in. You make poor hunters, all of you.” She said. Archer narrowed her eyes at the word.

“You are quite ruthless… Are you an Archer too?” She asked. The woman tilted her head.

“I was. But now, I am Berserker.” She said. Archer’s eyes widened.

“Berserker? But… you are not mad.” She said.

“Maybe not, but I am a beast nonetheless.” The white haired woman suddenly roared, and at inhuman speed jumped at her, claws looking for the kill. Archer drew Kanshou and Bakuya, raising them in defensive positions, but the strength behind the woman’s strikes was immense despite her frail appearance. The Servant of the Bow was launched back.

“Tch.” She clucked her tongue. That impact made her arms almost break, and her swords were severely weakened. Berserker charged again, but this time Archer was ready.

Claw against sword. Beast against knight. Sparks flew, and despite the strength and speed difference, Archer had technique and reach on her side. Every swipe, every kick, every bite was countered with a slash. Yet the Berserker did not let up her assault despite the mounting injuries.

In fact, she was getting faster. Each counter slash was being dodged or guarded. Each jump back to gain distance predicted. Archer varied her style, never jumping or slashing in the same motion, yet Berserker seemed to be able to read her perfectly.

No, that was not it. But the Servant of the Bow could not dwell on it further. She had to gain distance, at this point she would be overwhelmed.  She needed an out.

With all her strength, she used both twin swords to attack the enemy Servant. She launched her back, enough to jump away and have enough distance between them.

Berserker recovered almost immediately, but that was enough. She threw her swords at her, hoping to distract her. The blades flew like saws at their target. She could not ignore them. She had to stop and deflect them.

Thirty meters between them.

“ _Trace On_ ” She chanted. She felt Mana surge trough her. She searched her inner world for the desired weapon. She found it on the hill, bathed in the crimson blood of many opponents.

The beast struck the blades with her own arrows, pushing them aside.

The sword appeared in her hand. Bow on the other.

“ _I am the Bone of my Sword”_ She poured magical energy into it, modifying it’s form. It stopped being a sword, and became a barbed, tooth like metal projectile. Now broken, she drew the noble phantasm on the string.

Berserker jumped ten meters in one second.

“ _Hrunting!_ ” She shouted, activating the Broken Phantasm. It launched, sending shockwaves around the building as the Crimson Bullet closed the remaining distance in an instant.

Berserker was running towards her at inhuman speed. The woman’s eyes widened at the reveal of the Noble Phantasm’s true name, however, and was promptly run trough by the weapon before she could react. Her blood splattered on the ground and pillars.

Archer smirked. But Berserker did not stop running.

The beastly woman kicked her in the stomach. Archer was launched backwards into a pillar. Her back made a  c racking sound  as she fall to the floor. Everything was white, the pain enough to render any human unconscious.

“Gh!” She tried to stand up, but only spit blood. Her internal organs were damaged it seemed. But it did not matter, as long as her Spirit Core was intact, she would heal.

“Don’t bother.” Said Berserker, stalking towards her, the wound on her abdomen already closed.

“What the hell?” Whispered Archer between wheezes.

“When a beast is starving, it will do anything in it’s power to feast. No injury can stop it, in fact, it will only make her stronger.” Said Berserker. She was now five meters away.

Archer winced, and swallowing the blood and the pain, gathered enough strength to stand against the pillar.

“You’re trying too hard.” She said. Berserker did not react.

“Please know, it is not personal. You just happen to be prey.” The feral woman drew her bow and readied one of her magical arrows.

Archer looked behind the mad Servant. It was coming.

“I could swear people hunt with a bow.” She said, before evading the launched projectile. Even at this range, she could do it. Berserker was surprised at the futile evasion, but turned around just in time to see a Crimson Bullet rush towards her.

Hrunting hit her in the chest, and exited on the other side. The woman shouted in pain. Then, the arrow turned around, intent on killing her. However, the mad Servant swatted it away this time. The wound in her chest was gone already. Archer needed to retreat, this woman was a monster.

As the Red Hound of the Plains came back around to strike, berserker did not deflect or dodge it. She grabbed it out of the ear.

“What?!” She said in bewilderment. The mad Servant then glared at her, crushing the arrow in her hand like it was nothing.

“I tire of these games, Archer.” She stated.

“Then, let us end it.” Said a grave voice. Berserker looked at her side, but it was too late. A flash of red, a jump back, and a splash of crimson blood. Saber had attacked her, and dealt a nearly fatal wound.

“Well done Archer. Now you have me interested.” Said the masked man, keeping his eye on the enemy while guarding her with his body.

“Took you long enough.” She growled, regaining her footing once more. Her back hurt, and with the low energy received from Shirou, it would be a while before her injuries healed.

“Hmm. I would say I made it according to my calculations.” He stated. Berserker stood in front of them, completely still, looking at the ground.

“Finish her, or she’ll regenerate in seconds.” She said. Saber didn’t move.

“She already has.” He said. Archer looked at the mad Servant. She was covered in blood, dress torn, but no injury was visible. The feral woman lifted her head, her pupils were slits as she looked at her enemies.

“I’ll kill you. In time… I’ll kill you. And your Masters. And then Master will have… her revenge.” She said. She sounded like a madwoman.

“Trace… On.” Archer chanted, readying Kanshou and Bakuya. It was two against one. Their chances were higher now. Even if she could regenerate fast enough, if they lopped her head off she would die without a doubt.

Yet, Berserker did not make a move. She remained still.

“Looks like Master is merciful. If someone as precious as her can overlook you, then so will I. Consider yourselves fortunate.” Said Berserker. Her form faded into purple moths. The presence was gone, no trace of magical energy.

Archer let out a heavy breath as she checked on Shirou trough their link. He was alive. That was all that mattered.

“That Servant… I’ve seen few liker her.” Said Saber.

“That so… She was a Berserker, but she was not mad.” Said Archer.

“And she adapted quickly. Not only her mind, but her body as well. I’m surprised you survived as long as you did.” He said.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” She said.

“Do as you will. Now… let’s check on our Masters.” he said, sheathing his sword. Archer nodded, and groaned when she took a step.

“Need assistance?” he asked.

“No.” She replied. She did not need pity.

“Hmph.” He simply grunted as he dashed across the rooftops. Despite her pain and low energy reserves, she tried to keep up. Even if he had helped her, he was still an enemy. If they decided to attack Shirou, she would be ready.

She had to do at least that much after her defeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So yeah, this was a fight chapter mostly. I tried to make it work, but it was hard. I’m not very good at writing fights, and so any tips for that are appreciated. Up next, we will have Archer and Shirou discuss how to proceed in the war, while Rin and Saber discuss what to do with their new allies.  
> I’m on the fence on giving Archer a ‘Battlefield Medicine D’ skill since EMIYA participated in many conflicts, and wanted to save people, he might have learned a thing or two. But for now, none of that. She still only has Hawkeye, Projection and Eye of the Mind.  
> On another note, I hope you all had a Merry Christmas, and that you could enjoy it despite the conditions we live in these days.  
> That’s all for now. Chiao!


	5. Contact

_He was light like a feather,_ f _loating above the ground like an insect. He could_ _only see the setting sun, and a green hill surrounded by a forest. He did not know anything else, because he could do nothing else._

_At the edge of the horizon, he could see a man, a knight clad in silver and blue. His disheveled hair gave his regal air a sense of tiredness; like a battle had just ended. He was looking at the sun, the wind blowing, trying to send his clothes, his hair and his very being into the unknown. He knew, deep in his heart, that the man was about to disappear._

_Hurried footsteps were heard behind him. Shirou could not see his back, for he had no head to turn. The sound grew closer. Ragged breathing. Unsteady stride, almost tripping._

" _Saber!" Screamed a voice. In other times, it would have been sweet and delicate, but now it was strained with sorrow and desperation._

_A shadow dashed past him. A girl with red hair and a side ponytail. She wore a light blue skirt, leggings underneath and a jersey similar to his own._

_The man turned around, a serene smile on his face. H_ _is face, his hair, they were_ _dazzling._

_The girl tired out, stopping a few meters away from him with her hands on her knees. "Saber." She called out once more._

" _Hey Master." He greeted her. No, it was no greeting. It was a goodbye. "It's all over." The girl looked at him._

" _Y-Yes. It_ _is_ _." She replied._

" _All enemies have been vanquished. All lives have been saved." He said turning once again to the sun._

" _Not all of them." She said, holding a hand to her heart._

" _Yeah. That is incredibly sad. But we did our best." He answered._

" _Did we?" She asked._

" _Undoubtedly. I've never seen someone fight as hard as you. I'm sure that you'll achieve your dream, however long it takes you." He answered._ _Shirou_ _could only see the girl's back, but there was no doubt she was about to cry._

" _Saber… please stay with me." She asked him. The man looked back, surprised._

" _I… cannot do that. I'm not worthy. I still have many regrets." He answered._

" _But… you'll go back… you'll never be saved… and I…" The girl was crying_ _now_ _, he could see her tears_ _spill into the soil_ _._

" _It's alright." He said simply, still looking ahead. The girl was heaving._

" _I'll save you. I'll save everyone. Even if it kills me." She said, trying her best to stay strong._ _Shirou wanted to go to her. To tell her It was alright. It was in his nature after all._

 _The knight's_ _existence was more tenuous now, the wind carrying off his essence like dust in the air. Neither said anything, until the girl lifted her head._

" _I love you… Saber. I always will." She said. If Shirou had lungs, he would gasp._

_The knight turned around, a smile on his face._

_The next moment, he had_ _faded away into nothing._

 _The girl was left alone in the hill, looking at_ _the sun of dawn._

* * *

Shirou Emiya woke up. He was unusually tired, the dream still lingering on his mind. His room was dark, and he could see some light entering from the outside.

He figured he had slept for too long. He had to go make dinner for Sakura and Taiga and… Archer. He tried to move, but found his left arm hurting. Looking at it, he saw bandages right up to his shoulder, and then on the rest of his torso.

He grabbed his head, trying to remember what happened. He was on the skyscrapper with Archer, listening to the radio until Tohsaka appeared and then… he dove to save her from an attack. She had been alright, but he had suffered some minor injuries. Then he had passed out. Maybe.

He got up from his futon. His body was stiff and sore, but he still made it to the door while putting a simple black shirt on. He heard voices down the hall, along with the smell of something delicious being cooked. Sakura and Taiga had probably arrived, and were making fun of him for not being up yet. His poor classmate would be making food all on her own, which he found unacceptable. It was his home and his duty to help her.

However, when he arrived at the mess hall, he found something else entirely. Sitting on the table were not Sakura and Fuji-nee but Rin Tohsaka and her masked servant, having a chat with Archer. The woman in question was behind the counter in the kitchen, wearing an apron. _His_ apron. Not only that, but her red garments were gone, leaving her only in her black armor that along with the apron seemed to highlight her figure. Not as curvy as many women in ads or television, but he could see that she compensated with height and muscle.

And she was cooking. In his kitchen. An intruder in his heaven.

"Oh, Emiya is up and awake. Guess you were right to serve extra portions." Said Rin.

"Told you there was no way he would stay down for more than a day." Said Archer, turning around and putting her dish on the table, along with setting it.

"Let me help." He said, going to the already done dishes and utensils.

"No. You go and sit. I'll handle this." Said Archer, voice stern and face serious.

"But-"

"No buts. Sit. _Now_." She said, voice rising. Shirou knew better than to defy his Servant. He did feel bad about letting her do everything, but in the end he complied.

He sat at the table, opposite of Rin and her Saber. The man seemed to look around, uninterested while the girl stole glances as she looked at Archer work. The girl no longer had the devious and serious attitude she had on the roof. It was almost like a different person, and that made him uneasy.

"Tohsaka, what are you doing here?" He asked bluntly. The girl looked at him with bewilderment.

"W-Wait a second! What is this all of sudden?! Know that attacking a guest is bad manners." She asked, getting defensive immediately. Saber was on alert to, but his posture was more relaxed. Shirou raised an eyebrow. It had been a simple question.

"I'm just curious, since you said we were enemies." He clarified. At this, the girl seemed to relax, although she still didn't look at him.

"Well, on the roof you saved my life. That rubble, while it would not have killed me, would still have left injuries grave enough to leave me bedridden. So… you took the hit for some reason. It's only fair that I repay you. So let's say we are in a truce now." She said.

"A truce… in my home, eating my food." He said, crossing his arms.

"Well, your Servant was very kind to help Saber. In return we helped her in bringing you here, especially on the state she was in. Then she offered us food, so it's all on her" Rin said. Shirou looked at his Servant. He could see now, her gait was somewhat unbalanced.

"Are you alright, Archer?" He asked. The woman, who was still preparing the food, looked at him.

"I'll be fine. We drove away Berserker, and I'll recuperate in no time." She said.

"But you were injured." he said.

"Yes. But nothing too bad." She replied, slightly moving her shoulders.

"It was pretty bad. If you were not a Servant, you'd be dead." Said Saber, for the first time since he had seen him. Shirou looked at his Servant with worry.

"Stop worrying, alright? I'm fine now. Turns out Saber has some mean spells." She said, winking at the man opposite of him.

"Hmph." Replied the masked Servant.

"Speaking of spells, I thought you were just some guy, Emiya. But you actually survived that rubble without incapacitating injuries. What's your secret?" Asked Rin, crossing her fingers under her chin. That's right, he knew she was a mage, but he had made no indication of that. Not like it was something he disclosed easily. He hadn't even told Archer.

"Yeah. I'm a mage like you… I guess. I used reinforcement to harden my back, a little." He said with a sheepish smile. Rin gasped at this.

"You could have damaged yourself. No wonder you were messed up." She said.

"But you're alright. That's what matters." He replied. Rin looked at him like he had grown a second head, but said nothing.

"So... a mage. What else can you do?" She asked.

"Nothing much. Projection, reinforcement and… that's it." He said, rubbing the back of his head. Saber snickered.

"Man. Some mage you are." He said.

"Saber, please." Said Rin, clearly irritated.

"Oh come on now missy. Don't get worked up over jabs at your boyfriend." Said the Servant. It was obvious he was smiling under his mask. Both teenagers blushed, looking everywhere but the other's direction.

"Saber! Stop that, you traitor! Are you trying to humiliate me?" She said, trying to hit the servant, who just held her at bay with one hand.

"It is pretty funny to do so." Replied the man.

"Ugh!" Shirou looked at the exchange between them. There seemed to be no true malice in it, almost like it was a normal occurrence. He could hardly believe Rin, who he admired from afar, was so close to this man.

"Alright! Food is here. Enjoy." Said Archer, bringing over a plate he was familiar with, a favorite of Fuji-nee. Unagi, an entire set. However, his surprise came not from that, but how it seemed to glisten. Just by looking and smelling, he could see the quality and dedication that the older woman had put into it.

"Thank you for having us." Said Rin, grabbing chopsticks and her own portion. She then looked at her Servant, who only seemed to stand there and observe his plate. "Saber. Take off the mask and enjoy the food." She said, stern.

"Is that an order?" He asked, now looking at her with those blue eye things.

"Yes." She replied. The man sighed, and proceeded to remove his mask. It flipped behind his head with an unknown mechanism, revealing a lean and pale face. His features were, for lack of a better word, attractive. Pointy chin, perfect nose, green eyes under glasses and white hair combined with some gray on the top of his head.

"Were you always wearing those?" He asked the man. He looked at him, expression unamused.

"What of it?" He asked.

"Isn't it uncomfortable?" He replied.

"Not at all. Let's say these are… a manifestation of my wisdom. Like a noble phantasm, except not really." He responded, adjusting his glasses.

"Oh. I see. Well then…" He said, grabbing his own plate. With hesitant chopsticks, he grabbed a bite.

The only way he could describe the taste was… divine. The amount of flavor in his mouth left him aghast, to the point he could only say one thing.

"What is this?!" he asked. It was better than his. No, it surpassed his own cooking to a level beyond humiliation. His food, in comparison, left him embarrassed.

Rin and Saber looked at each other, before taking bites of their own. Rin's eyes went wide, before closing as the girl seemed to melt with a blush on her face.

Saber's eyes also widened, although he seemed to somewhat keep his composure as he ate more at an accelerated pace.

Shirou looked at his Servant with bewilderment. The older woman only smirked at him, clapping her chopsticks as if saying _Victory._

"When I told you I had tasted better, I was obviously referring to me." She said. Shirou looked at his plate in defeat. There was no way around it. He had to accept that this woman had come into his house and one upped his cooking. He would need some time to catch up.

"Hey, stop mopping. Maybe I can teach you a thing or two." She said, patting his head.

"You would?!" he asked her. Yes, indeed, learning from such a person would be delightful.

"Of course. You only need to ask." She said, still smirking. He would surely ask.

"I gotta say, Emiya, if your Servant can keep this coming, then I wouldn't regret making an alliance with you." Said Tohsaka.

"Alliance?" He asked, looking at her with confusion.

"Oh, that's right. We were here for that." She said, wiping her mouth with a napkin like a noblewoman. She put her hands under her chin, propping her head with her elbows.

"All these gas leaks that have been happening, are not gas leaks at all. I'm sure you noticed that. The masters in this war have no regards for human lives, or honor. And since this is my territory, I must protect them as the owner of Fuyuki. You saved me from injury, and your Servant helped mine with Berserker, so that makes you trustworthy, or at the very least too dumb to backstab me. So I propose this…" She said, raising a finger. "… We work together to take down Berserker, and anyone else who is behind these deaths. But after that, we are back to being enemies. I won't lose the grail Emiya. Is that acceptable?" She asked.

Shirou looked at her, dumbfounded. She had actually changed her mind, she wanted to work with him. It made him, warm inside. Not only that, but now there was a chance he would not need to harm her. He had to take this opportunity, but even so…

"Archer." He said, getting his Servant's attention. "Are you ok with this?" he asked. The woman seemed to think about it for a second before shrugging.

"I don't see why not. We don't really need them, but one less enemy is one less enemy." She said. Rin glared at the woman, while Saber raised an eyebrow.

"Then let's make an alliance." He said, extending a hand towards Rin. The girl looked at her Servant.

"Saber?" She asked. The man looked at her.

"Do you really need my input?" he asked dismissively.

"Yes. Any discord will reduce our chances of victory, and I'll have non of that." She said sternly. At this Saber chuckled.

"Very well. I'm rather looking forward to how this pans out." He said. Rin nodded, before extending her own hand and shaking Shirou's. It was warm, and kind of soft but also hard in some places.

"So… now what?" Asked Shirou.

"We need a plan. And something better than being bait." Said Archer.

"Well, since we don't have to worry about being at each other's throats, this is my suggestion." Said Rin. "We lay low for a while, wait to see what Berserker does. In the meantime, let's try to look into who the other Masters might be. I'm almost certain there is one more at the school, so let's start there." She said. Shirou nodded.

"Any way to tell? Outside of command spells?" He asked.

"Have any strange things occurred? New arrivals from nowhere?" She asked. Shirou thought about it for a second, before his mind settled on Serena.

"Yes, actually. Serena is a new student. Even Issei was suspicious of her." He said.

"That loser is suspicious of everyone." Countered Rin.

"That's right. But maybe she knows something. And she's friends with Sakura, so she may be in danger." Said Shirou. The notion of Sakura being harmed made his chest go cold.

"if that's the case, then I suggest we strike hard and fast. Kill the masters before they can call any servants." Said Saber. At this, Shirou grimaced.

"Is there no other way?" He asked.

"Being merciful right now is not the best option, kid." Said Saber, staring at him with a cold expression.

"I agree. Masters are dangerous Shirou, They are mages ready to do anything; even kill millions of other. If you let them live for even a second they'll stab you in the back. No offense, Rin." Said Archer, looking at him with contempt.

"None taken." Said Rin. Shirou gripped his plate with more force than necessary.

"A-Alright. But if we can do something…" Said Shirou. Both servants were now glaring at him, but he did not care.

"...We'll try." Said Rin, looking at the table like it had killed her pet.

"Master?" Asked Saber, now confused.

"If I'm right then... yeah... let's try not to kill Masters unless necessary. But Servants are kill on sight, no exceptions." She said cryptically. After a moment, Saber's face became solemn before he nodded at his Master. Shirou was confused, but glad at least Tohsaka was with him. He looked at Archer again, and the woman's glare had intensified.

He glared back at her.

* * *

After that, dinner had gone smoothly. Everyone enjoyed their food and helped put the plates into the washer. Saber and Rin left not long after, leaving Shirou and Archer alone in the kitchen. The boy had asked Rin if he wanted him to escort her, but she had dismissed him, stating that Saber was more than enough protection.

Of course she didn't need him. She had a one point nine meter sword wielding hero at her side. Their banter had left quite the impression on him, and he couldn't stop thinking about it.

He looked at Archer. The woman seemed pretty observant, and it seemed like she understood him in some way. She had always voiced her thoughts to him, even if most of the time she was criticizing him and making him uncomfortable, they made sense. More sense than anyone. So, he felt safe asking his next question.

"Hey Archer. About Saber…" He said, catching her attention. This time, he was drying while Archer washed. She still had her apron on, and still made her look dazzling.

"What of him?" She asked, not taking her eyes away from the sink.

"You think him and Tohsaka are… you know…" He said, now regretting his decision. No, he had come this far. Better finish it.

"I don't know." She answered cheekily. Shirou huffed.

"You think there is something between them?" He asked finally. He heard a plate drop, and Archer looked at him, obviously surprised.

"Archer?"

"You think they are together?"

"That's… what I'm afraid of." He answered, closing his eyes and letting the truth out. It felt nice, to let it out of him. Until he heard a chuckle that is.

"Archer?" he asked the woman. She seemed to twist slightly, holding something back. Then, she exploded in laughter, a sound he never expected to hear from her. It would have been something nice to behold, if he hadn't been embarrassed out of his mind.

"W-W-What?!" He asked, blushing.

"HAhAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHA!" Archer laughed like a madwoman, clutching her stomach. "You-You, Are you- pffffhahaahah!" She continued.

"Am I what? What did I say?!" He asked. He wanted it to stop, the blood rushing to his head was going to kill him.

"Are you jealous of Saber, Master? Pfhahahaha!" She said, almost seeming like she was going to drop to the floor. Having his concern voiced like that made him even more ashamed. He had no words to say. But Archer had.

"What-What was it? His face? His glasses? The fact he is a great hero?! Or maybe… his height?!" She asked, barely containing her laughter enough to talk. Worst of all, she had hit the nail on the head.

"K-Kinda. He is pretty tall." He confessed. At this, Archer stopped, before exploding in laughter and falling to the floor, rolling around like she had heard the best joke.

"AHAHAAHAHAHAHAAHA!"

Laughter echoed trough the house. Shirou wondered if his neighbors could hear it. He hoped not.

* * *

" _T_ _race, Synchronize"_

His newly created magic circuit activated. Mana flowed into the pipe. He felt it's inner workings, it's purpose, it's material. He added to it, trying to make it stronger. Reinforcing it's structure, altering it's materials. He kept pouring mana on it, but, something failed. The spell rebound, and the pipe exploded in his hand as his circuit fizzled out.

Shirou groaned in pain. It was third thing in the past hour. That was a new record. He grimaced, gripping his fist. He was failing at everything today. How was he supposed to win the war? Protect Sakura? Save people?

_Prevent that hell._

"Shouldn't you be resting?" He heard a voice now all too familiar to him. He turned towards the door of his shed. Standing there, leaning against the doorframe was Archer. She had her red kilt-skirt thing now, but her upper sleeves were gone, exposing her muscled arms. Moonlight shone upon her, bringing out her silver hair.

"I can't. I need to practice my magic. You said I was out for a day, right? Then I must make up time lost." He said, grabbing a nearby two by four plank.

"Really? Practice for what exactly? You plan to take on Berserker with a pipe?" She asked, clearly mocking him.

"If I must." He said, trying to concentrate.

"Hey. You know I'm the servant here right. I do the fighting, you do the supporting." She said, now stepping into the shed.

"I can't do anything other than this, Archer. So, I kind of have to do the fighting too. There's no reason for you to do everything." He said. Archer frowned.

"You'll only get in the way. You cannot match a Servant Shirou, no matter how hard you try." She said. He pursed his lips, thinking of what to say.

"I can't sit idly by while you get hurt." he said, finally.

"I can take care of myself. Better than you can at least." She countered.

"I could see that by the way you were limping today." He said coldly, looking at her right leg. She seemed better now, at least. Archer glared at him.

"I'm used to it. And it healed, so moot point. Someone like Berserker could rip you in half in a second. So drop this Shirou. There's no point." She said, repeating her point. Shirou gripped the two by four tightly.

She was right of course. He had seen her and Saber fight, and they were far more than super human. There was no way he could be that fast. But he wanted to be. Archer was strong, so strong in fact, yet he could clearly see in her demeanor, in her skills and her moves that she; like him, also had nothing. Yet she had somehow made it to the point she became a Heroic Spirit. If she could do it, he wanted to believe he could too.

"Then train me. Teach me how to fight. Anything, just let me help you." He pleaded.

"Why are you so insistent on this? What good will it do?" She asked, raising her voice.

"I just want to help people! That's all!" He yelled. "I'm not going to stop. Never. I have to do it, and no one is going to change my mind about it." He said, more calmly. Archer said nothing, looking at him with an impassive expression.

After a moment, the woman let out a heavy sigh.

"You are going to kill yourself, or worse." She said. Those words cut him like a cold blade.

"Fine. As your Servant, I'll have to make sure you suffer the least when you do." Shirou looked at her in surprise. The older woman walked towards him, then sat in front of the boy.

"What are you…?"

"In my life, I was not a bow user, nor a sword fighter. When I was alive, I was a magus." She said. Shirou's eyes opened like saucers.

"What?" He asked. "But-"

"Don't misunderstand me, I'm pretty good with a bow. But, my real talent lies with magic. A particular type, but I know the basics." She said. "So, I'll teach you what I know. I'll teach you how to use a weapon." She said, holding up a finger. Shirou smiled, but it was stopped by that same finger stopping in front of his face.

"You have to promise me, you won't go throwing yourself in front a train to save people. I am doing this, so that you have a better chance of survival; not so that you are a better disposable tool. Is that clear?" She said, voice stern and with a gaze that pierced his very soul. He wanted to deny it, because in truth it's what he would do if it meant saving someone. But, he could not deny those eyes.

"A-Alright. I promise… I'll try to be careful from now on." he said. As his words left his lips, Archer's gaze softened a little. Almost like relief.

"Okay, so, show me what you can do." She said. At this, Shirou grabbed his plank.

"Well, this is called reinforcement. I simply pour mana into it, and…" He said. He opened a new circuit in his body, poured mana into it and-

"Okay, stop! Stop!" She said, grabbing his hand and interrupting his channeling.

"I wasn't finished!" He complained.

"Don't care. I've seen enough, and you were doing it wrong. Horribly wrong. You could have killed yourself." She said.

"What? I've been doing it for six years, no problem there." He countered.

"Then you've been doing it wrong for six years. Now… What do you know about magic circuits?" She asked. Shirou looked at her, confused. Wasn't she the expert magus?

"Umm, they're like waterways for mana. Mages use them for spells and the like, making them out of nerves." He replied, unsure if his answer would be right.

"Wrong. Absolutely wrong. Mages don't create circuits, they make use of the ones they are born with." She explained. His eyes widened, that was completely new to him.

"Really? But I must not have any then." He said.

"Nope, you do have. Only you've never used them, because whoever taught you did it wrong. Probably on purpose." She said. Shirou felt a pang of pain. Kiritsugu taught him wrong? Intentionally? No, that could not be. Still, he had to focus on the now, which was improving.

"Then, what do I do?" He asked. At this, Archer smiled.

"Turn around. And take off your shirt." She said, wiggling a finger in circular motion. He obeyed, taking off his shirt and baring his back to her. He felt cold, and then, he felt her hand on his spine. It was kind of cold, rough and calloused despite being small and thin. He shivered a little at the touch.

"What are you doing?" He asked, blushing.

"I'm going to open your circuits, and that will probably improve not only your magic, but also our connection… I hope. Now, let me see where they are…" She said, feeling around his back, pressing upon various points.

"Gotcha." She said, her hand now pressing her palm against a point in his spine. "Okay. I'm going to flood them with mana. It's going to feel… strange… like getting out of a sauna. Ready?" She asked.

"Yeah." He replied.

He felt her hand pulse with… something.

" _Trace; Off."_ He heard the chant behind his back. He thought it was his voice for a moment, but no; it was hers.

"What did you-" His back lit up, and his head arched forwards. Something surged trough him, opening things inside him that had been closed. He felt like his veins were stretching, filled with something warm. Then his world went haywire.

_He remembered it well. The moment he saw it, he thought he was dreaming._

_Fire everywhere. People screaming around him. Heat scorching his body and soul. Every step he took, someone was left to die. But he did not care. Not in the slightest. The boy only wanted to live._

_That boy, was seeing hell._

_However, Shirou Emiya could not see a boy now. He could only see a girl. A red haired girl, crying, going forward without stopping._

_That girl, was seeing hell._

The world came back. He breathed heavily, his body unusually numb.

"It's okay, breathe." She said, massaging his back. His senses returned fully. He moved his arm, it felt… normal. The pain from the feedback was gone, and he was now more… open. More flexible. He felt complete. He felt… good. Yet, that image remained in his mind.

"You okay?" Asked Archer, voice unusually soft.

"Yeah. I just, had a vision. It was nothing." he said, smiling at her, hiding his pain. She just looked at him, with what he could only describe as pity. He didn't want that, and so he turned around, facing the dark of the shed.

"Shirou." She said.

"Archer." He replied. He heard her take a breath from behind him.

"I'm going to ask you something; something I wish people asked me during my life." She said.

"And that is?"

"Do you want to talk about it?" Shirou's chest tightened at those words. She could not mean that. She did not know, could not know. Those memories, that haunted him every night, he did not want to burden anyone with them. Especially not her, this strong woman who already had burdens of her own, who did not need someone like him holding her back.

"There's nothing to talk about. It was just a random thing." He said, voice shaking slightly. Archer said nothing for a moment. Did she believe that? He could not tell.

"I see. Sorry about that. Alright, now that your circuits are open, try reinforcing that plank. Let's see how you do." She said, tone now friendly and happy. Shirou relaxed. He had dodged a bullet.

"Let's see…"

That night, he succeeded, three consecutive times. Mana flowed easily trough his body, and he could grasp the structure of the object and pour mana into them more easily, as well as modify it. His mental work still had issues, as a lightbulb painfully reminded him, but Archer quickly guided him to success. It was almost like she knew what to tell him, at any time.

He wondered, just who was this woman? Why did it seem like she was a better half of him?

* * *

Shinji Matou opened the door to his home. His Servant was right behind him, following silently. He threw his bag in a couch, and called out.

"Hey! Sakura! Old Man! You there?!" he yelled. It reverberated around the house, but no answer came.

"Must be in the basement. Jeesh." he said, shivering at the thought. He despised Sakura, but not even he wished her the torment his grandfather made her go trough. Unfortunately, the path to his room went right beside the door leading there.

He tired his best to be quick, but the moment he stepped near that accursed place, the door opened. He could hear the sound, the awful sound of something squirming down there. And out of the shadows came his grandfather, frowning.

"Ah, Shinji. You're back. Is everything ready?" He asked.

"Yeah, yeah. Almost… don't worry old man. Just let me be… Ow!" Zouken hit his leg with his cane.

"Shut up, you brat. I'll throw you down there too." He said. "You have one job. Do it well!" He said, and Shinji did not respond. The small man then turned to the Assassin.

"Assassin. What do you have for me?" He asked.

"Archer and Saber engaged Berserker. They drove her away; and then their Masters went to their house, together. I was not able to listen into more, since a powerful bounded field was erected by Saber. So… I know very little. But it seems Tohsaka and Emiya have formed an alliance." She said. At this, the man's eyes widened.

"Really? Are you sure?" He said.

"Not completely. But my assessment should be seventy percent accurate." She said politely.

"Hmm. I see. Very well then. Think you could relay this to Sakura… subtly?" He asked.

"As you wish, Master." Said Assassin, bowing.

"Very good." Said Zouken.

"What about me?" Asked Shinji, wishing the old man would just let him be.

"Do whatever. Just make sure the summoning ritual is in place that day." He said.

"But… how am I going to escape old man? Do you not care about me?" Asked the boy. Zouken just laughed.

"Good joke, boy. Now leave." he said. Shinji sneered before going upstairs.

Zouken was about to say something, before the door to the basement opened.

"She's done. You're dismissed Assassin. Continue monitoring." Said Zouken, as he vanished in a cloud of insects that dispersed into the house.

"As you wish, Master." Said Assassin. At that point, she saw a girl emerge from the darkness. Purple haired and fair skinned. Her eyes were dead, and not a spark of hope remained. It broke her heart when that girl saw her, and smiled.

"Ah… Serena. Good to see you." Said the girl, a distance away from her.

"It's good to see you too, Sakura." Said Serena, trying to get close, but the girl stepped back.

"Don't. I'm… filthy. I just got out." Said Sakura, voice fragile. Serena did not care, as she cornered the girl, and pulled her into a hug. The feeling of her skin should have been warm, but it was so cold. That was wrong. That had to change.

"I'm filthy too." She whispered in her ear. Her mask was off, and so Serena's features were on full display, only for Sakura. "Did you figure something out?"

"No." Replied the girl. Her voice sounded dead, hollow.

"It's fine. We still have time." Said Serena, not letting go. However, Sakura still moved away from her, away from her grasp.

"Thank you." The girl then went up the stairs, leaving Assassin behind. Alone. Cold.

A hand went up to her chest.

"Soon. Soon, you'll be… My Master. Mine alone."

* * *


	6. Moonlit Temple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shirou and Archer head for Ryuudou temple.

_The more I stay here, the stranger I feel. Memories forgotten long ago come to the surface each passing minute. Feelings that disappeared are reborn._

_There was something I wanted to protect. What was it again? A dream?_

_I hate that dream. I hate that dream. I hate that dream._

_I was left to rot._

_I won't let it end that way. Even if it's pointless, one way or another, I'll change this path._

_If only to give myself peace of mind._

* * *

Evening.

Students were returning from school due to a curfew. Every student, including Shirou.

Archer was glad, she could work him to the bone some more these days. And it would keep the idiot from overworking himself.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by the boy, who ran at her with a bamboo sword in each hand. He'd taken to imitating her style for some strange reason, and it irritated her.

Luckily, their little practice sessions were perfect for her to discharge her repressed frustration.

She easily swatted away his attacks, and countered with a merciless barrage. In no time, Shirou Emilia was on his back, panting and exhausted.

"I think we can call it a day," she said, smirking a bit. She stood in front of her defeated opponent, hands on her hips.

"No, no," Shirou mumbled, trying to get up. He did it slowly, almost as if someone forgot to grease the gears in his joints. "I can still go on."

He could not. He held his fake swords as if they weighted two extra tons.

"You can't, Master. It shows." she frowned. She hated that stubbornness. But she was stubborn herself.

"I can't retreat now," he countered.

"You can, though. There's always tomorrow."

"There may not be a tomorrow. Alright, enough talk." he charged again, trying his best to stab while he had his other sword ready to slash. An imitation of her style with no substance nor understanding of it. She saw right trough it.

One parry, one twirl, and his first sword was gone into the air. She swung the other, hit him on the head and left him on the floor once again.

She crouched at his side with a strained smile.

"One word of advice, if you're gonna copy something, make sure you understand it. Alright?" the boy sighed.

"Yes, Archer." She got up. He did as well.

"It's been three days, and I still can't touch you." he complained, grabbing the swords and putting them in their rightful place in the dojo.

"You want to get good enough to beat a heroic spirit in three days. You really are hard headed." she said, glaring. Stubbornness was one thing, but the arrogance displayed by the boy was getting to her.

"I thought that if I kept trying–"

"Well trying hard is not enough. You need to know when to retreat, when to give up, and when something is bordering on plain stupidity!" she raised her voice, more than she intended. Her feelings had exploded out of her. She just… it was too much. So much that it was painful. She could not bear it.

Shirou looked at her, bewildered.

"Is… everything alright, Archer?" he asked. Of course he worried about her instead of feeling offended or afraid.

She took a deep breath, composed herself, and then looked him in the eye. "I'm really trying here, Shirou. But you're not making it easy."

His eyelids went down, and he looked to the floor. Was it shame? "Sorry,"

She sighed. He was not going to give up the attitude. That much was clear.

They remained in silence for a few moments before Shirou checked his phone.

"It's almost six. Sakura and Taiga will be here soon. I need to prepare dinner," he said, going to the dojo's exit.

"I'll help you," Cooking was something Archer thought she had forgotten, but the dinner with Rin and Saber reminded her of the joy of cooking for others. And to make matters better, it did not involve killing anyone.

"You don't need to," Shirou replied.

"But I will, so make some space," she told him, walking by his side.

* * *

On the kitchen, Archer and her Master began to cook a meal for four.

The older woman had to admit, Shirou was quite skilled; almost as much as her. Together, they seemed to settle on a rhythm without much talk. Shirou prepared the meat, Archer the vegetables. She would cut, he would mash. One would boil, the other fry.

It was teamwork; and Archer could hardly believe there was someone who could keep up with her.

And yet, he still had so much to learn.

"Here," without taking her eyes away from the carrot she was cutting, she handed him a bowl of condiment. "This is better,"

"Thanks," he said. He sounded joyful.

After that, they went back to their silence, only the sounds of flame, cutting and frying could be heard in the atmosphere.

For the first time in an eternity, Archer felt at peace.

Of course, it was Shirou who broke that illusion.

"You are really good at this," he commented. "Could you handle the chicken for a while?"

"Got it," she replied, going to the stove. Shirou began cutting another vegetable to add to the meal, but took a quick look at Archer. She noticed. Why was that? What was he planning? Did he suspect her of something? Her younger self was trusting, naive and optimistic. A fool. And for now, Shirou seemed to be the same. But maybe…

"Ow!" she heard, and looked at him in alarm. He held up his index finger. It was bleeding. She was immediately at his side, looking at the wound.

"Are you alright?" she asked, holding his hand. It was surprisingly strong and nice to the touch.

"Y-Yeah I'm fine, Archer. You don't have to–"

"–Nonsense. You are hurt. Here," she used her magic to project a bandage. It would not last long, but enough for his wound to heal. She guided his hand to the sink, cleaned the wound and wrapped the bandage around it.

Once they were done, his finger was nice and clean.

"There. Better?" she asked with a glare. Shirou looked at his finger, and blushed.

"T-Thanks Archer," he smiled a little. That smile was intoxicating. Shirou had rarely smiled like that in the entire time she had been in the war. It was a treat.

"I'm glad," she then realized what happened. She had jumped into helping someone without thinking. What an idiot. "Stupid," she facepalmed.

"What?" Shirou asked. Right, he was in the room.

"Don't think I didn't see you looking at me," she told him, going back to the kitchen.

"I–I'm so–"

"Just don't do it. Okay?" The boy nodded, and both of them went back to cooking.

* * *

Sakura and Taiga came, along with the night and dinner. It was a jolly affair, due to Taiga's antics that Shirou had to put a stop to every so often. As she was taking another bite, she heard Taiga say something along the lines of 'Go grab me some beer at the store'

Her brain short circuited for a moment. A memory long forgotten took over.

_**(** _ _**A/N: Play Everpresent Feeling)** _

" _Oi, girl," I heard a man. He was wide shouldered_ _and_ _wore a ridiculous stripped tank top. His face was black, like a burned_ _photograph._ _His name… what was his name?_

" _What is it, Fuji-nii?" I said._

" _Get me some more beer from the store, will ya? It's so hot in here,"_

" _You're a grown man, Fuji–nii. You can do it yourself,"_

" _About that, I kinda flirted with the cashier_ _the_ _last time_ _I went to buy_ _a_ _nd now I'm too_ _embarrassed_ _to talk to her,_ _he he_ _" I threw a plate in the sink. He always did this. It was unacceptable. He was supposed to be the caretaker, but most times, I_ _had to act_ _like his mom._

" _Are you freaking serious?_ _You're hopeless Fuji–nii_ _. How did you even become a teacher?"_

" _He he he. What can I say? I love shaping some kids into fine young men and women. Gotta make sure they stay on track and have a good future, right?" I could not disagree with that. Why did he have to be so mature when it mattered the least?_

_I threw a wet rag at him._

" _Ow_ _!"_

" _Go get it yourself. Face that cashier." I looked at him sternly. I can't see his expression, but I can feel he is smiling._

" _Alright, kiddo. Want me to get you something?" I didn't really need anything. His everyday presence was enough. Of course, I would never let him know that. It would go to his head and become unbearable for weeks._

_He got up, and headed to the door._

_Don't go, Fuji–nii. Don't leave me alone._

_That's what I thought._

_How hypocritical. I was the one who left in the end._

_**(A/N: Track end.)** _

"Oi! I asked you a question!" Taiga Fujimura got her back to reality.

"What?" Archer asked, looking around to confirm her surroundings.

"Where do you work?" Taiga was glaring at her. Despite the delicious food she made her, the woman was still extremely suspicious. It made sense, Shirou was like her son it seemed.

She needed something. She could not stumble in her words. What did she do best? Cooking was a perfect answer but… that run the risk of her asking the restaurant and actually going to see her. She went with her second best options.

"I'm a martial arts teacher," she said.

"Huh? Really?" Taiga looked her over, before nodding with some hesitation. "You do look pretty strong." she had fought in countless battles both in life, and after death. It was only natural she would develop some muscle.

"Fuji–nee…" Shirou growled.

"What? I'm not doing anything!" complained the woman, crossing her arms.

"But you were about to ask her to fight you. Weren't you?" the boy fixed the tiger with a steel gaze, and the woman crumbled.

"How did you know? Can you read minds now?" she complained.

"No. I just know how you think. Now stop harassing Archer," Shirou went back to his food nonchalantly.

Taiga leaned down into the table, clearly depressed.

"I hate you, I hate this woman, and I hate this delicious food you two make," her tears were visible as she took another bite of her meal. It was slightly amusing.

Archer took a look at Sakura. She was quiet, looked tired and slowly ate her food as if it had no taste at all.

The purple haired girl looked in the Servant's direction, and at that moment, the counter-guardian felt a wave of killing intent wash over her. Sakura's eyes betrayed no emotion and looked foggy, but she could not shake that sensation.

As soon as the girl looked away, the feeling was gone. For a moment, she considered cutting the girl down then and there. She was a risk, or at least that's what her instincts told her. This contradiction, she had seen it before.

" _Senpai," I look behind me. From behind the door_ _of my room_ _, I see a shadow. An uneasy feeling washes over me, as if opening it would bring doom upon my world._

_But I recognize that voice._

" _In a second Shinji," the heir of the Matou family was staying over, since he felt a little down lately. Of course I had to take him in._

_I put a tank top over my body and open the sliding door._

_Dressed in a casual button shirt and blue pants, there is Shinji. He looks squalid, but his hair is sharp and purple._

" _Are you alright?" I ask him. He looks at me. His indigo eyes are foggy, his cheeks flushed._

" _No, I…" He stops, as if trying to get something out of his throat._

_I step up to try and calm him. He's shivering. "It's okay, Shin–"_

"– _Don't touch me." He swats my hand away and retreats._

_For some reason, that hurt, and not just physically._

" _S-Shinji?"_

" _Senpai, you'll never leave me, right?" he asks. What am I supposed to say to that?_

" _Of course," I answer uneasily. Saber is on the next room. Nothing bad will happen. Shinji is my best friend._

" _Umm, I have another question" I don't say anything, waiting for him to speak his mind. "Do you think I am a bad person?"_

" _What?"_

"Well… I'm walking Sakura home, is that okay?" Shirou snaps her out once again as he gets up and picks up the plates.

Archer helps him without uttering a single word, her senses all focused on the purple haired girl.

She will do the dishes while he's gone.

The pseudo-family is about to leave when Archer called out to Shirou.

"Emiya," he uses his second name as to not seem too friendly.

"Yeah?" Shirou turned around, and Archer looked him in the eye.

"Be careful on our way back," she told him. Shirou turned serious, nodded and then left her alone.

* * *

After a while, Archer began to be concerned. She thought about going to look for Shirou, imagining the worst. However…

He came back just as she was getting ready to leave.

"You're back," she told him. He sidestepped her and went to sit on the table, putting a stack on papers on it. He was silent. "What?" she asked, flipping over one of the papers. It contained a bunch of school notes.

"This is homework for Issei, but… he's missing," he said finally.

"How do you know?" she asked. Had he not expected people to die?

"Issei never misses school, not even when sick, and always answers his phone." she raised an eyebrow.

"So he's dead?" she asked nonchalantly.

"I'm serious here!"

"So am I. Why is this a concern?"

"He could be in trouble,"

"I meant why is this a concern for _you_ ," Shirou groaned, grabbing his head.

"Because he told me he would investigate someone, and perhaps that is what made him expose himself to danger. I could have stopped him." So it seemed that no matter the timeline, the council president of homurahara was a distrustful stalker, male or female.

"Shirou if he is in some deep shit, it's still not your problem. You are not responsible for everyone's lives and actions." she tried to give him a sympathetic look, but his stubbornness showed itself once again as he got up and went to the closet. He emerged in his jersey and a wooden sword a short time after.

Sparing one glare at her, he went to the door.

She would not allow it.

In a split second she was in front of it, grabbing his wrist.

"Don't think about it. You'll get us both killed," she fixed him with a frown and stood over him. However, even as he looked up to her, his expression did not change.

He took his wrist forcefully out of her grasp.

"Archer, let me outside," he said. It seems he gained a backbone in these short time they were together.

"Or what?" she crossed her arms. He was a human, there was no way he could get past her.

"I'll use a command seal to force," her eyes shot open.

"Are you insane?! You would waste a command seal on a tantrum?!" she asked him, outraged. His expression still did not change.

"Yes," he was not bluffing, he was serious.

"You wouldn't dare," she growled.

"By the order of this command seal–" he began the chant. She reeled back, he really was going to do it.

"Wait a second!" she had so many options. Cut his arm, decapitate him, kick him in the stomach, punch him into unconsciousness. She was fast enough. But…

… she still had a chance. A chance to save him. She cursed herself.

"I order you–"

"–fine!" she screamed, punching the wall. It became dented. Finally, Shirou's steel expression changed into surprise. "I'll go with you," she admitted with a sigh. At this, Shirou smiled. It was innocent enough, but if he was trying to be cheeky, she really was going to pulverize him.

"Then let's go," he told her, opening the door. For the second time that night, she sighed.

* * *

It was a silent trip. Archer followed Shirou in solid form, looking around and hoping to dissuade any would-be attackers. She did notice one thing in particular. Insects buzzed around them. Normally, one would assume they were cicadas or other nocturnal insects, but the sounds were all wrong, and too constant.

She could feel trace amounts of magical energy around them. They were familiars, insect familiars. But she knew only one magus family with that kind of magecraft.

However, once they began approaching Ryuudou temple, near the mountains, the insects stopped as if repelled by a bounded field. But she felt nothing of the sort.

They stopped near the stairs that lead to the boundary of the temple. Under the moonlight, in the dark knight, Master and Servant observed the structure that loomed over them.

"I must warn you Shirou. Something is wrong," she told him.

"You can stay here if you want," he didn't even look at her. Was he angry or something?

"I'm serious. Someone was watching us. Didn't you hear the insects?" she told him. He looked at her for the first time in their trip.

"So that's what they were. Why did they stop then? Something in the temple?" Archer rubbed her chin. Her foggy memories, intertwined with those of her countless 'jobs', sprung up in her mind. She could never tell Shirou the whole truth.

"There is a huge Leyline, which channels magical energy from the land. Any Magus worth their salt would detect it and make their fortress there. We have to leave while we still can, think up a plan with Rin," Shirou looked at her, then at the temple, then back at her.

"Sorry Archer, but I cannot leave anyone behind. If you want to leave because you're scared, then go," she felt a vein burst in her forehead. Was he calling her a coward? All in that innocent tone that made it look like he didn't know what he was saying? Of course not, _she_ had never known what she was saying. She wondered how she even had friends back when she was alive.

"I'll show you who's scared you little shit…" she mumbled as she began to walk the steps. When she did so, she felt as if stepping inside something else.

"W-Wait for me!" Shirou said, trying to catch up to her. Too bad his legs were still short.

As they ascended in the dark of the night, Shirou decided to make another question.

"Why don't we go trough the woods?" Archer sagged her shoulders in defeat, then touched the border between the stone stairs and the forest. As expected, her hand was repelled by an invisible force.

"What the–?"

"A bounded field that prevents Servants from entering from anywhere except the main entrance. It's clever. And the field is strong, enough that no normal Magus would be able to dismantle it,"

"So what do we do then?" she smirked.

"We go trough the meat grinder," she continued her ascent, and the boy followed.

She felt nothing else, no sound except from the insects of the night and the animals native to the forest. The stone steps reached a long way into the mountains.

They finally arrived at the temple gate, illuminated by the moon in all it's glory. However, just a few steps ahead of them, someone blocked their path.

"Welcome, Master and Servant," A man in purple robes stepped into the battlefield wearing a long katana. Very long.

The moment his figure appeared, Archer's mind once again was invaded by images.

_Sparks fly._

_I see the knight face off against the samurai_

_He did something, something that forced Saber to reveal his trump card._

_I couldn't even see it._

"Who are you?" Shirou demanded. Archer stepped in front of him, tracing her twin swords.

"I'm the guardian of this gate, your final obstacle if you want to breach this fortress. I am Servant Assassin." he announced, as if he were in some sort of duel or tournament.

Archer said nothing. How could a man wielding a sword be an Assassin?

"You must be the Master," he said, pointing his sword at Shirou. "And if so, you are the Servant." Now he pointed at Archer herself.

She narrowed her eyes. Structural grasping was at work, but…

That sword was absolutely normal. It had no special properties, and would break if it was handled wrongly. The only thing that made it noteworthy were the skills of it's wielder. Tsubame Gaeshi, a skill from Sasaki Kojiro that…

Her mind burst into static. It was…

More static.

Who was he? She could grasp his sword but… his techniques remained hidden.

Regardless, his skills in swordsmanship were top notch; but he did not emanate a particularly imposing presence. Still, Archer could not underestimate him. But if he was a Servant, then, there would be no choice but to fight him eventually.

"Let us trough," Archer demanded, stepping up to be on the same level as the swordsman.

His eyes narrowed and he lowered his weapon. "You'll have to fight me first," he got into a fighting stance, sword held two handed near his face, facing forwards. She could not get a read on him. Perhaps it was a special skill of his.

She got into a stance as well, holding her swords at her side. There were openings, but they were deliberate. It would be tempting to strike there. She knew that, and would use that.

"Archer!" she heard Shirou yell, but she held out a hand.

"Leave this to me," he stopped. Did he really plan to help her? It made her want to shake her head.

"Archer…" she spared a glance at him. He was worried, about her. It was… cute. Then, his expression turned serious. "Give it your all,"

That encouragement was certainly new. It made her somewhat warm inside, to know someone had faith in her, after all those years of being a nobody.

"Of course, my Master,"

"Ready Archer?" Asked the Servant in front of him.

"How chivalrous of you,"

"I've never met a woman such as you. You've piqued my interest, that's why I want to fight you, as the Assassin class Servant!" she smirked.

"That honor may bite you, Assassin,"

"We'll see. Then…" he flexed his body. He dashed forward. "Here I come!"

**(A/N: Play Clash of Souls from F/SN)**

Steel met steel. Sparks flew. Assassin moved with inhuman speed. He deliberately attacked her openings, but she could not punish them appropriately because every time he attacked, he would change up his tactic.

She never knew where the strike would come from, or in what form. Her adapting skills were blocked, like her structural grasping. He was unpredictable in the worst ways.

Archer parried a strike and retreated, but in a second Assassin was on top of her. His long sword kept her from counter attacks since her swords were too short and he had the home field advantage.

She jumped to higher ground. He followed. He struck with a thrust she evaded. She swung at his neck, but the swordsman simply leapt backwards into even ground.

She attacked from the air and he raised his sword to block her strikes. He was smirking, he was enjoying this. How annoying.

He pushed her back, and their battle was reset.

He was as strong as her, physically. At least that was good, but she needed a plan. With Shirou's pitiful mana, she would not last long. She needed something else.

She gripped Bakuya in reverse grip. An idea sprung to mind.

She threw it. Like a disk, it flew towards her enemy. With a gasp, Assassin deflected it, and it went flying into the forest.

Archer dashed as he did this, and attacked with Kanshou. She moved fast, striking at every vulnerability she could see. Assassin's skill was remarkable, his defense was almost instinctual. She would soon be on the defensive again. She locked blades with him.

But she had more. Bakuya came flying back. They were married blades, attracted to one another. As long as the user held one, the other would continue it's course.

From behind Assassin, the disk of death came.

The swordsman's eye tensed, and he was forced to duck while allowing Archer to switch sides. She grabbed Bakuya from the air effortlessly, and swung and the now open Swordsman.

But another swing came from her left. The moment she slashed his neck, she herself would be cut open. A mutual death. That was not acceptable.

She blocked it, barely. The longsword touched her face. Then Assassin pulled it back and tried another slash. Archer evaded it, putting distance between the two.

"Already using tricks?" he taunted. She was breathing heavily now.

"What? Does it offend you or something?" she countered, smirking.

"Hmph. Then, I'll show you mine." He got into a stance. His sword glowed in the moonlight. The air tensed. Her Eye of the Mind warned her too late.

Three slashes, all at the same time. There was no pause between them. A perfect overlap of three strikes. She was going to be cut down. That was it.

"ARCHER!" in a second, she saw a head of orange her in front of her, holding a glowing sword.

Her heart stopped. No. She didn't need to be saved. Not again.

**(A/N: Track End.)**

However, as soon as it all started, it stopped. Something held all combatants in place like a rock. The air was distorted. Archer felt stiff.

A laugh from a woman was heard from their right, in the direction of the temple.

"How amusing. To think an Assassin would have honor," she could turn her eyes, even if not her body. A woman in purple robes floated above them. She was no regular magus, and that only left one answer.

The Servant of magic, Caster.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I love the concept of FEmiya, and had to put her in text form. I’m actually surprised that despite all versions of Shirou there is not a single female one. No, Chloe doesn’t count!


End file.
